Old soldiers never die

Intimations of mortality are becoming more evident but the region is dominated by septuagenarian zaims

While intimations of mortality grow ever greater for North Africa’s veteran political leaders, septuagenarian zaïms (big men) will continue to run much of the region. Age it seems cannot wither them. Despite continuing health concerns, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has assured Algerians that he is well, that he will retire when everything becomes too much, and that the constitution should be changed so he can serve a third term after 2009.

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