Algeria went into mourning after the announcement of the death, on Saturday, March 28, of Liamine Zeroual, former president of the Republic, who died at the age of 84 at the Mohamed Seghir Nekkache military hospital in Algiers, following a long illness.
The presidency has decreed three days of national mourning, with flags being flown at half-mast throughout the country and in diplomatic missions abroad.
A former mujahid and career soldier, Zeroual left his mark on the country's contemporary history by leading Algeria during one of its darkest periods, the civil war of the 1990s. Remaining popular despite his withdrawal from public life, he embodied for many a figure of stability in a context of extreme violence.
A military man propelled to the top of the state
Born on July 3, 1941 in Batna, Liamine Zeroual joined the ranks of the National Liberation Army at the age of 16. After independence, he pursued military training in Egypt, the Soviet Union and France, before rising through the ranks of the People's National Army, where he held several strategic command positions.
In January 1994, at the height of the "black decade," he came to power as head of state in a country torn apart by a war between security forces and armed Islamist groups. The following year, he was elected president in the first multi-party election held in this context, with a stated aim of restoring order while initiating a political opening.
Governing in turmoil
Zeroual's term in office coincided with a period of intense violence, marked by tens of thousands of victims. Faced with internal power struggles at the highest levels of government, he attempted to maintain a delicate balance between those advocating a purely security-based solution and those favoring dialogue with the insurgency.
At the same time, his government undertook economic reforms under international pressure, in a tense social climate. Weary of these multiple challenges, he announced his early withdrawal from political life in 1998, a rare decision in the region, paving the way for the election of Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 1999.
A discreet retirement, a respected memory
After leaving power, Liamine Zeroual chose to withdraw completely from the public eye. Maintaining a reserved stance, he no longer speaks about political life, cultivating an image of dignity and detachment.
Since Sunday, his body has been lying in state at the People's Palace in Algiers, where officials, former comrades-in-arms, and citizens are paying their respects. His burial is planned for Batna, his hometown, after a final national tribute.
A central figure in a tragic period, Liamine Zeroual leaves behind the image of a head of state confronted with extremes, having assumed power in the midst of turmoil before voluntarily stepping down. His singular journey, from the maquis of the war of independence to the highest levels of the state, is indelibly etched in the history of Algeria.
