Reportedly a three day period of mourning began in Algeria on Saturday for former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. According to reports, in his youth he fought against french colonialism in the french Algerian war. Reportedly in 1962, the Évian accords, a 93 page peace agreement allowed France to facilitate underground nuclear testing in the Sahara, and maintain french interests such as commercial primacy and control over western Sahara oil reserves. Sonatrach was established in 1963 following negotiations aimed at solving post colonial problems. Reportedly France owned up to 67.5%.
According to reports, in 1965 Bouteflika took part in a coup against the first president of Algeria, Ahmed Ben Bella. Reportedly a problem was that oil was Algeria’s only revenue. Algeria has several oil fields. In 1967 according to a report the government nationalised the oil and gas industry; Esso and Mobile left but Total remained.
The Algerian civil war lasted from 1991-2002. Reportedly, factors were the state’s diminishing role in the economy, oil revenue and the ascent of an islamic state political party. Jihad and sunni factions reinforced by armed islamic state groups fought government forces for control. According to reports there were civilian massacres, murder and attacks on some who wanted to leave the gia, an armed group, or engage with the government. The democratic national rally, still in power won the 1998 elections and Abdelaziz Bouteflika became president in 1998. Reportedly the ais, an armed Islamic group called a unilateral truce and an amnesty law was said to have resulted in a decline of violent incidents.
According to reports Bouteflika represented the party’s right wing, being open to economic reform and rapprochement with the west, though relations with Morrocco suffered due to the western Sahara. Reportedly he wanted to curtail the national debt. The 2005 hydrocarbon law oversaw Algeria’s oil industry and resulted in protests. It was amended in 2006, other amendments since. Last amended in 2020, reportedly under the surveillance of the ministry for the environment and the ministry of hydrocarbons, law 13-19 states existing contracts cannot be renewed.
According to reports Abdeaziz Bouteflika had health problems since 2013, he went abroad for treatment but his health gradually declined. He passed away on 17 September.