Houari Boumédiène

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Lore & Background

Houari Boumédiène was born in Guelma and educated at the Islamic Institute in Constantine. In 1955, he joined the National Liberation Front (FLN) and adopted the nom de guerre Houari Boumédiène. By 1960, he had risen to become the commander of the FLN's military wing. After Algeria's independence in 1962, he became Minister of Defense. In June 1965, he overthrew President Ben Bella in a bloodless coup, abolished the parliament and constitution, and became acting head of state. He ruled through a Revolutionary Council composed mostly of military supporters, many from the 'Oujda Group'—including his long-time foreign minister Abdelaziz Bouteflika. No significant internal challenges emerged after the 1967 coup attempt. He insisted on collective rule after the coup.

Reader's Guide

Boumédiène's significance lies in his consolidation of power after independence and his transformation of Algeria's economy and political system. He nationalized the Algerian oil industry in 1971, increasing government revenue tremendously and sparking intense protest from the French government. He put soaring oil and gas resources—enhanced by the 1973 oil price shock—into building heavy industry. He imposed Arab socialism as the state ideology and declared Islam the state religion. He was a strong supporter of Arabization, declaring 1971 the year of Arabization. Politically, he gradually restored civilian institutions, starting with local assemblies and moving up to a national parliament, culminating in the adoption of a new constitution in 1976 that reinstated the presidency. He emerged as the sole candidate in the election that year, winning with 99.46 per cent of the votes. However, the military remained the dominant force in politics throughout his era. He died on 27 December 1978 after unsuccessful treatment for Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a rare form of blood cancer. His funeral was attended by two million mourners.

Did You Know?

• At age 32, Boumédiène remains the youngest person to serve as head of state of Algeria.
• His nom de guerre Houari Boumédiène came from Sidi Boumediène, the patron saint of Tlemcen, and Sidi El Houari, the patron saint of Oran.
• He won the 1976 presidential election with 99.46 per cent of the votes as the sole candidate.
• He died from Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a rare form of blood cancer, and his funeral was attended by two million mourners.
• His father said in a 1965 interview that his date of birth was 23 August 1932.