Abdelaziz Bouteflika

He was a leader in the Algerian War of Independence, and became a Minister of independent Algeria in 1962. The next year he was made foreign minister, and a member of the legislative assembly. He resigned as foreign minister in 1979.

From 1981 to 1987 he was in exile due to allegations of corruption, but returned after the case was dropped. He signed a protest against alleged government brutality in 1988, and stepped out of the limelight.

In 1999 he ran for president and was elected with 74%. No other candidates stood.

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