Algerian President Bouteflika stepped down on Tuesday after 20 years in office and six weeks of massive nationwide protests.
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Crowds celebrated peacefully in the capital Algiers soon after his announcement. Honking car horns, singing songs and waving Algerian flags, hundreds gathered Tuesday night at the central post office — a plaza that has become a symbol of the protest movement. Police watched from the sidelines. The move came a day after Bouteflika's office said he would leave by April 28, the official end of his fourth mandate — but only after"important" changes were made to ensure institutional continuity. That gave rise to fears that his entourage would do all to preserve the interests of those who profited from his time in office.
In a communique, the Defense Ministry referred to Bouteflika's entourage as a"gang" and said it had made"fraud, embezzlement and duplicity its vocation."Tensions had been mounting in recent days between the army chief and the president's entourage — along with suspicions of a potential military coup.
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