Algeria’s powerful army chief, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah, died on Monday morning in a military hospital in Algiers following a heart attack, reported Reuters.
Salah was the head of the army since 2004. His last public appearance was last week on Thursday at the swearing-in of new president Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
“The deputy defence minister and chief of staff of the army died Monday morning of a heart attack,” the presidency confirmed the news said in a statement.
The newly elected President Tebboune has announced that the head of land forces, General Said Chengriha, would take over as acting chief of staff of the armed forces after Salah’s sudden death. Tebboune has ordered three days of mourning.
“[Gaid Salah was a] freedom fighter who proved faithful to his oath in the most difficult circumstances that the country had to go through,” the president said.
The 79-year-old, Salah, became Algeria’s de facto leader after the military removed president Abdelaziz Bouteflika from office in April following mass protests against plans to extend his two-decade rule. In fact, it was the military chief who announced in March that article 102 of the constitution, which allows the president’s removal on grounds of ill health, should be applied to force Mr. Bouteflika to resign.
After Bouteflika’s exit, an interim president was appointed but Gaid Salah remained the key decision-maker. When Algerians continued with the protests demanding a complete political overhaul, Salah insisted on holding presidential elections to bring stability in the country.
He declared that it would be up to the new president to take the country forward and overcome the political crisis. But the majority of the people denounced the poll as all five contenders in the presidential election were seen as regime candidates, selected to ensure the survival of the ruling military system.
