Bualam ibn Hammouda

Boualem Benhamouda is an Algerian politician who served as Secretary General of the FLN from 1996 to 2001, Minister of Finance from 1982 to 1986, and Minister of the Interior from 1980 to 1982.

Biography Benhamouda was born on March 8, 1933 in Cherchell, Algeria. As a young man, he was a member of the General Union of Algerian Muslim Students and participated in the 1956 strike before joining the FLN. He studied law at the University of Algiers, but left to fight in the FLN where he was wounded in 1957. In the middle of his term, he was replaced by Abdelmalek Benhabyles and appointed to be Minister of Public Works, where he served until 1979. In 1980, he was appointed Minister of the Interior where he served until 1982. From 1982 to 1986, Benhamouda served as the Minister of Finance.

Benhamouda was elected Secretary-General of the FLN in 1996, just after the Algerian Civil War and the conflict with the FIS. His predecessor, Abdelhamid Mehri, had been disowned from the old guard of the FLN for pursuing peaceful dialogue in Rome with the FIS. Benhamouda was forced to resign in 2001 after the party base of the FLN called for change, and he praised his successor Ali Benflis.

After retiring from politics, Benhamouda wrote books and dictionaries in French and Arabic, along with histories of the Algerian War and French influence in Algeria.