Former Algerian President Liamine Zeroual Dies at 84

Liamine Zeroual, the former president of Algeria, died at the age of 84. Born on July 3, 1941, in Batna, he was a former soldier and served as Algeria's president from 1994 to 1999.

Zeroual was a key figure in the National Liberation Army (FLN), which fought for Algeria's independence from French rule. He organized the country's first multi-party presidential election in 1995, winning by a wide margin.

However, his five-year term was unexpectedly cut short in 1999 when he made way for Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who would lead the country for 20 years. Zeroual passed away in a military hospital in Algiers after a serious illness, prompting the Algerian government to announce three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast across the country.