Bouteflika is Gone: What does the Future Hold for Algeria?

Mon. May 13th, 2019
Beirut, Lebanon

In February 2019, millions of Algerians began protesting against a fifth term of their ailing 82-year-old then-president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The popular movement caught the regime off guard, leading to Bouteflika’s resignation within a matter of weeks. However, Algerians are keeping up the pressure, and their leaderless, peaceful movement has shown no signs of waning.

The Carnegie Middle East Center held a panel discussion that examined the present situation and considerd possible future outcomes in Algeria in 2019. It focused on the characteristics of the protests, the role of the opposition and Islamists, possible resolutions to the current political impasse, and the attitude of the armed forces, who remain the real locus of power. The event also touched upon the potential spillover of the protests into Morocco, Libya, and beyond.

SPEAKERS

Younes Abouyoub is a former political adviser to the UN special respresentative of the Secretary-General.

Haizam Amirah-Fernández is a senior analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute and an associate professor at the Instituto de Empresa (IE).

Amel Belaid is the founder of APOTHEOX Consultancy and an oil and gas consultant.

Dalia Ghanem is a resident scholar and expert on Algeria at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

MODERATOR

Loulouwa Al Rachid is a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Younes Abouyoub

Haizam Amirah-Fernández

Amel Belaid

Dalia Ghanem

Senior Resident Scholar, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Dalia Ghanem was a senior resident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where her research focuses on Algeria’s political, economic, social, and security developments. Her research also examines political violence, radicalization, civil-military relationships, transborder dynamics, and gender.