Bouteflika Returns After Illness

Political activity ground to a halt in December as the country fretted about the health of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the man who many Algerians credit with finally ending the country’s brutal civil war. While Bouteflika eventually returned home from hospital in France at the end of December, apparently restored to full health, doubts persist about official explanations of his illness. Moreover, Bouteflika’s long absence has highlighted the extent to which political life revolves around the president, with worrying implications for a succession

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