Algeria’s President last seen in public two years ago makes rare appearance

Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has made a rare appearance to inaugurate a conference centre, the Reuters news agency reports.

Bouteflika, 79, was last seen in public two years ago when he voted from a wheelchair in the ballot that saw him elected for a fourth five-year term. He had suffered a stroke a year earlier.

There was no live coverage of the event and no images of the ailing leader were immediately released, the report adds.

Reuters reports that analysts say that President Bouteflika’s appearance was designed to dampen demands for early presidential elections.

Algeria’s state radio has tweeted a picture of the leader from the event.

Written by David Kugonza