RIYADH: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences oto ALgeria following the death of former Algerian president Liamine Zéroual, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
In separate cables to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the Saudi leaders conveyed their heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the president, as well as to Zéroual’s family.
Zéroual, who died on Sunday at the age of 84, was a veteran of Algeria’s National Liberation Army, which fought for independence from French colonial rule.
He later led a transitional administration during the country’s civil conflict in the 1990s and oversaw Algeria’s first multi-party presidential election in 1995, which he won by a wide margin.
In 1998, he stepped down before completing his five-year term, paving the way for Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who went on to lead the country for two decades.
Zéroual remained a widely respected figure in retirement. Algeria’s presidency said he died at a military hospital in Algiers following a prolonged illness, and that flags would be flown at half-mast nationwide.
(With AFP)
