Boumedienne, The Ascetic

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30782, 21 June 1965, Page 14

Boumedienne, The Ascetic

C.V.ZP.A.-Reuter — Copy right > PARIS, June 20. Colonel Houari Boumedienne, the ascetic, fervent Moslem who took over power in Algiers yesterday, has always regarded the army as the core of a socialist society in his country. "I want to make the army a healthy and useful school for the socialist society we are building,” he has said often. Colonel Boumedienne was born at Guelma.ne ar Constantine. eastern Algeria, in 1925. After religious studies at Zitouna University, in Tunis, and Al Azhar University in Cairo, he became a school teacher in Algeria. He joined the National Liberation Army of the insurrection in 1955.

He rose rapidly to command the insurrections in the military region of Oran, and in 1960 became chief of the liberation army’s general staff. When independence in 1962 split the provisional government of the Algerian republic. Colonel Boumedienne sided with ben Bella.

He was dismissed by the Government, but took the army with him—the trump card which brought ben Bella to power.

As his reward, Colonel Boumedienne was named Defence Minister in the first independent Algerian Government. In 1963 he became the country’s second personality, as Defence Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister. The picture of him built up by newspaper reporters who have met him is of a man of burning idealism and loyalty to Moslem beliefs and values, of modest personal tastes, having the co viction that the soldier has a political role to play. He studies closely’ the writings and speeches of Mao Tse-tung and Fidel Castro. The first signs are that Colonel Boumedienne wants to continue the prominent role Mr ben Bella took for Algeria among the developing nations