Pouvoir politics will not easily go away: several departing décideurs – those who decide – had reached retirement age but were also identified with factions that opposed the ambitions of the controversial presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika...
The key change would finally allow the Bouteflika clan to appoint a vice-president Saïd Bouteflika being one heavily contested candidate...
That was followed by a series of high-level sackings of officers close to Medienne who were replaced by 'Bouteflika clan' loyalists some close to controversial presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika and Republican Guard commander (since 5 July) Benali Benali (aka Abdelkader Benali; AC Vol 56 No 16 Attack prompts security reshuffle)...
If score-settling rather than a historic deal over Algeria's political future was the main factor in Tewfik's departure then the big winner could be the faction gathered around Saïd Bouteflika...
Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (DRS) military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Mohammed ‘Tewfik' Medienne keeps his job but many of those around him have been replaced by Bouteflika loyalists some close to the president's controversial brother Saïd Bouteflika...
Benali (or Abdelkader) Benali who is said to be close to Saïd Bouteflika...
Among those deeply involved in property and other deals with the sheikhs is unpopular presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika (AC Vol 55 No 2 Après moi moi)...
The DSI chief has been identified as a factional ally of presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika...