Chadli Bendjedid | |
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3rd President of Algeria | |
In office 9 February 1979 – 11 January 1992 |
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Prime Minister |
Mohamed Ben Ahmed Abdelghani Abdelhamid Brahimi Kasdi Merbah Mouloud Hamrouche Sid Ahmed Ghozali |
Preceded by | Rabah Bitat (Interim) |
Succeeded by | Abdelmalek Benhabyles (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Born |
Bouteldja, Algeria |
14 April 1929
Died | 6 October 2012 Algiers, Algeria |
(aged 83)
Political party | FLN |
Spouse(s) | Halima Ben Aissa |
Children | 4 |
Profession | Soldier |
Religion | Sunni Islam |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Algeria |
Service/branch |
ALN PNP |
Years of service | 1954–1962 (ALN) 1962–1979 (PNP) |
Rank | Colonel |
Battles/wars | Algerian War |
Chadli Bendjedid (Arabic: الشاذلي بن جديد; ALA-LC: ash-Shādhilī bin Jadīd; 14 April 1929 – 6 October 2012) was the third President of Algeria; his presidential term of office ran from 9 February 1979 to 11 January 1992.
Bendjedid was born in Bouteldja on 14 April 1929. He served in the French Army as a non-commissioned officer and fought in Indochina. He defected to the National Liberation Front (FLN) at the beginning of the Algerian War of Independence in 1954. A protégé of Houari Boumediene, Bendjedid was rewarded with the command of the Constantine Military Region Oran, Algeria in 1964. After independence he rose through the ranks, becoming head of the 2nd Military Region in 1964 and Colonel in 1969. He commanded the 2nd Military Region from 1964 to 1978, and there supervised the evacuation of French military forces stationed at Mers el-Kebir in conformity with the Évian Accords, and the monitoring of the frontier between Algeria and Morocco which was the site of significant tension.
Bendjedid was minister of defense from November 1978 to February 1979 and became president following the death of Boumédiènne. Bendjedid was a compromise candidate who came to power after the party leadership and presidency was contested at the fourth FLN congress held on 27 - 31 January 1979. The most likely to succeed Boumediene were Mohammad Salah Yahiaoui and Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The latter had served as a foreign secretary at the United Nations for sixteen years. He was a prominent member of the Oujda clan and regarded as a pro-Western liberal. Yahiaoui was closely affiliated with the communists, permitting the Parti de l'Avant-Garde Socialiste (PAGS) to acquire jurisdiction over the mass trade union and youth organizations.