By RFIPosted on 25-12-2019 Modified on 25-12-2019 at 13:20

Algeria buries this Wednesday December 25 Ahmed Gaïd Salah. The funeral ceremony began with the arrival of the remains of the chief of staff at the Palais du Peule in Algiers. Will the brutal disappearance of the strong man from the country change the situation on the Algerian political scene? What will be the room for maneuver for the new president Abdelmajid Tebboune elected with the support of the army?

For decades, army generals have been at the heart of power in Algeria. With the start of the Hirak, ten months ago, General Ahmed Gaïd Salah took center stage. He was the one who made all the political decisions, he too who addressed the demonstrators regularly. After his disappearance: " there will be neither rupture nor change, but a continuity " affirm analysts.

The system changes skin, but no soul

Some hope that this disappearance will give more freedom to the new head of state Abdelmajid Tebboune. However, the room for maneuver seems reduced today. He is caught between the demands of the army and the aspirations of the people.

It is clear that the disappearance of a man who has concentrated most of the power for almost a year in his hands will not fail to lead to developments in the seraglio.

Said Saadi, founding member and former president of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD)

25-12-2019

The demonstrators do not forget that Tebboune was chosen by the generals. According to them, the president " owes his victory to the generals and will always be grateful to them ". Lucid, they remind us that the system has always managed to survive by changing skin, without ever changing soul.

The army chief of staff had always acted in concert with a limited number of generals. They are the ones who will continue to influence the country's political orientations.

Ahmed Gaïd Salah, as we know, had already planned to hand over to Said Changriha , who was appointed acting chief of the army staff on Monday 23 December.

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