Abdelhamid Brahimi
{{Short description|Algerian politician (1936–2021)}}
{{Other people | Brahimi }}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Abdelhamid Brahimi
| native_name = {{nobold|عبد الحميد براهيمي}}
| native_name_lang = ar
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| office = Prime Minister of Algeria
| term_start = 22 January 1984
| term_end = 5 November 1988
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| president = Chadli Bendjedid
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| predecessor = Mohamed Ben Ahmed Abdelghani
| successor = Kasdi Merbah {{small|(as Head of Government)}}
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|4|2|df=y}}
| birth_place = Constantine, Algeria, France
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|8|15|1936|4|2|df=y}}
| death_place = Algiers, Algeria
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| nationality = Algerian
| party = National Liberation Front (Algeria)
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| alma_mater = Ohio State University (PhD)
| occupation = economist
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| known_for = economic reforms
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Abdelhamid Brahimi ({{langx|ar|عبد الحميد براهيمي}} / ʿabdu l-ḥamīd Brāhīmī; 2 April 1936 – 15 August 2021) was an Algerian politician who first served as minister of planning{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/agonyofalgeria00ston|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/agonyofalgeria00ston/page/94 94]|quote=Abdelhamid Brahimi.|title=The Agony of Algeria|last=Stone|first=Martin|date=1997|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=9780231109116|language=en}} before becoming the prime minister of Algeria under Chadli Bendjedid. He served as PM from 22 January 1984, until 5 November 1988.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/globalizationpol0000henr|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/globalizationpol0000henr/page/109 109]|quote=Abdelhamid Brahimi.|title=Globalization and the Politics of Development in the Middle East|last1=Henry|first1=Clement M.|last2=Springborg|first2=Robert|date=13 September 2001|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521626316|language=en}}
Early life
Brahimi was born on 2 April 1936 in Mila, and later served during the Algerian War of Independence in the ranks of the National Liberation Army.{{cite news |title=Décès de l'ancien Premier ministre Abdelhamid Brahimi à l'âge de 85 ans |url=https://www.aps.dz/algerie/126190-deces-de-l-ancien-premier-ministre-abdelhamid-brahimi-a-l-age-de-85-ans |access-date=17 June 2025 |work=APS |date=15 August 2021}}
Political career
After the Algerian War of Independence, he was appointed wali of the wilaya of Annaba Province, and was later made representative of the gas company Sonatrach in the United States in 1976.{{cite news |last1=Ait |first1=Amine |title=Décès de l'ex chef du gouvernement Abdelhamid Brahimi |url=https://www.algerie360.com/deces-de-lex-chef-du-gouvernement-abdelhamid-brahimi/ |access-date=17 June 2025 |work=Algerie360 |date=15 August 2021 |language=fr}} He briefly taught at the University of Algiers until 1975. He then served as Minister of Planning, before becoming Prime Minister of Algeria from 1984 to 1988. During his time as prime minister, he identified himself with economic liberalism and accelerated the reform process, although he controversially introduced a Family Code which was alleged to represent Islamist pressure and not the scientific character which he had identified with.{{cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=Hugh |title=The Battlefield: Algeria 1988–2002: Studies in a Broken Polity |date=25 April 2017 |publisher=Verso Books |isbn=978-1-78663-064-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5GFxDAAAQBAJ&dq=Abdelhamid+Brahimi+%221988%22&pg=PT80 |access-date=17 June 2025 |language=en}} He later stated that the president had faced internal opposition from senior members in the FLN, which led to them looking for other candidates and increasing dissent.{{cite book |last1=Willis |first1=Michael |title=The Islamist Challenge in Algeria: A Political History |date=1997 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-9329-9 |page=113 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8vs8DAAAQBAJ&dq=Abdelhamid+Brahimi+%221988%22&pg=PA113 |access-date=17 June 2025 |language=en}} In response, Bendjedid purposefully instigated trouble in October 1988, which provoked a national crisis and led to Brahimi being sacked.
In the spring of 1990 he announced that the FLN's corruption in government had cost $26 billion, which the Islamic Salvation Front heavily promoted in the lead up to the elections in June 1990.
Exile and return
After his ministerial role, he went into self-imposed exile in Great Britain for 26 years.{{cite news |title=Algeria Opposition Figure, Abdelhamid Brahimi, Returns Home |url=https://www.echoroukonline.com/algeria-opposition-figure-abdelhamid-brahimi-returns-home |access-date=17 June 2025 |work=الشروق أونلاين |date=1 February 2016 |language=ar-DZ}} He went into exile after fearing for his life due to death threats from other parties, and was unable to return as his Algerian passport was revoked. During his stay, he taught at various universities like Georgetown University and Washington University. He returned to Algeria in 2016 aboard a Royal Air Maroc plane, arriving in Houari Boumediene Airport. He died on 15 August 2021 in the Central Army Hospital in Algiers.
References
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{{succession box|title=Prime Ministr of Algeria|before=Mohamed Ben Ahmed Abdelghani|after=Kasdi Merbah|years=1984–1988}}
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Category:People from Constantine, Algeria
Category:National Liberation Front (Algeria) politicians