Abdelaziz Bouteflika

President of Algeria

(AllRefer.com, Algerian Embassy in United States)

Abdelaziz Bouteflika was born in Oujda, Morocco on 2 March 1937. He resisted French occupation as a member of the National Liberation Army, joining in 1956 shortly after completing secondary school. His military work included posts in Wilaya province, commanding the Mail Front on Algeria's southern border and establishing contact with prisoners in France on a secret mission. His efforts were rewarded by being named a deputy of the Constituent Assembly and then Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism shortly after independence in 1962. As Algeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1963 to 1974, Bouteflika became a major spokesman for nonaligned nations. Other focuses of his tenure were strengthening Arab unity, securing international recognition for Algeria's borders and restoring control over natural resources. In 1974–75, he served as president of the 29th UN General Assembly. He became an advisor to President Chadli Benjedid 1979, but was sacked in 1980 and spent much of the next six years in exile. He returned to Algeria in 1987 and became a member of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front in 1989. In 1999, Bouteflika ran for president as the candidate of the military-backed National Liberation Front and National Democratic Rally parties, winning in an election opposition candidates denounced as rigged. During his presidency, Bouteflika has worked to end the civil war with Islamic fundamentalists, reducing violence in Algeria by reaching a ceasefire with the largest group in 1999. He has also focused on helping Algeria keep up with changing political and economic conditions. On the international level, Bouteflika has pushed for peace in Africa, co-operation among the North-South divide, greater co-operation with the EU and membership for Algeria in the Word Trade Organization.