Algeria Lays to Rest Former President Liamine Zeroual With Complete Military Honors

Algeria has laid to rest former president Liamine Zeroual with full military honors following his death after a prolonged illness in Algiers.

On Monday, Algeria conducted a state funeral with full military honors for former president Liamine Zeroual, who was interred in his hometown of Batna at the age of 84.

Abdelmadjid Tebboune attended the ceremony to honor the former general who guided the nation through a pivotal time in its contemporary history.

Zeroual passed away on Saturday at a military hospital in Algiers after a lengthy illness. In his honor, the Algerian government declared a three-day national mourning period.

Zeroual, a dedicated soldier, commenced his service in Algeria’s National Liberation Army, engaging in the struggle for independence from French colonial rule. He ascended through the ranks to achieve the position of general by 1988 and was designated as the minister of defense in 1993.

He took office as president in 1994 amid a period of political turmoil and subsequently managed Algeria’s inaugural pluralistic presidential election in 1995. Zeroual achieved victory in the vote, garnering over 60 percent and obtaining a strong popular mandate.

Even after leaving office in 1999, Zeroual maintained a strong reputation, yet he consistently turned down opportunities to re-enter political leadership, opting to stay away from public office, which many viewed as a principled stance against the political corruption that plagued the country.

His death marks the passing of a key figure in Algeria’s post-independence political and military history.