ZCZC
BFF-22
ALGERIA-POLITICS-ARMY
Algeria starts funeral of army chief Gaid Salah
ALGIERS, Dec 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The funeral of Algeria’s powerful army
chief Ahmed Gaid Salah got underway Wednesday as his remains arrived at the
People’s Palace, images broadcast by state TV showed.
The wooden coffin containing the body of Gaid Salah, who died of a heart
attack on Monday aged 79, arrived at 0630 GMT, covered in a national flag and
carried by officers.
Surrounded by large numbers of motorbike outriders, the funeral procession
converged on the palace, which was built in the 18th century for Ottoman
governors.
Gaid Salah became the country’s de facto strongman after longtime
president Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to step down in the face of huge
street protests in April.
Interim military chief of staff Said Chengriha was in attendance, while
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune arrived a little after the procession.
Tebboune won a December 12 presidential election with 58.1 percent of the
vote on a turnout of less than 40 percent, according to official results, in
a poll dismissed by protesters as a ploy by Gaid Salah and other
establishment figures to consolidate their power.
After his win, Tebboune awarded Gaid Salah the National Order of Merit,
Algeria’s highest honour. After the general’s death he announced three days
of national mourning.
Images broadcast by several TV stations showed a crowd massed at the gates
of the palace to pay their final respects to Gaid Salah, who served as army
chief for 15 years.
The religious affairs ministry asked imams to lead prayers in Gaid Salah’s
memory on Wednesday.
He was due to be buried shortly after 1200 GMT in Martyrs’ Square in Al-
Alia cemetery, where former presidents and other major Algerian figures are
laid to rest.
BSS/AFP/RY/1330 hrs