Former Algerian President Chadli Bendjedid Dies

Jamiu Yisa With Agency Report

Former Algerian President Chadli Bendjedid died on Saturday of cancer, agency reports said.

He was aged 83.

Bendjedid was the third President of Algeria from 9 February 1979 to 11 January 1992 and one of the longest reigning.

His liberal policies in 1991 gave the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) victory in elections, until the second round was cancelled by the army, which intervened and forced him to resign.

His successor, Mohamed Boudiaf, assassinated 20 years ago, vowed more open rule in spite of a strong military influence, while Islamists set themselves up as representatives of the Algerian opposition.

The outcome was a bloody civil war between the armed forces and Islamist groups that lasted more than 10 years and claimed 200,000 lives, leaving the Algerian people as the main victims of the power struggle.

Bendjedid was admitted to the Ain Naajda military hospital in the capital more than a week ago.

His advisers included current UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

He kick-started the democratisation of government institutions in Algeria, notably by promulgating a pluralist constitution in 1989.

He was born in April 1929 in Bouteldja in eastern Algeria near the Tunisian border.