Algerian protests force president to resign after 20 years in power


Change is on the horizon in Algeria. The nation celebrated in the streets on Tuesday after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was in power for 20 years, abruptly resigned following weeks of mass protests in the capital city of Algiers.
The 82-year-old Bouteflika had not been seen often in public following a stroke in 2013, but had retained the office of the presidency. But he finally relinquished the position after the army's chief of staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, who holds great sway in Algeria, demanded Bouteflika officially step down. The resignation is not itself surprising — Bouteflika agreed to leave office before the end of his term on April 28 — but Salah reportedly decided that those terms were issued by "unconstitutional and unauthorized parties," per Reuters.
"There is no time to waste," Salah said. "We decided clearly ... to stand with the people so all their demands get fulfilled."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Those demands came largely from young protesters who were tired of Bouteflika's hold on the government and wanted change. However, some of the protesters called for a complete overhaul of the political system, in which the military plays a significant role. The chair of the upper house of parliament, Abdelkader Bensalah, will reportedly take over as a caretaker president. But protesters are not satisfied with that outcome, believing it perpetuates the corruption of the current system.
"What is important to us is that we do not accept the new caretaker government," Mustapha Bouchachi, a protest leader and lawyer, told Reuters. "Peaceful protests will continue."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodle
Cartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorship
Talking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants