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Ahmed Ouyahia

Ahmed Ouyahia (Arabic: أحمد أويحيى) (born July 2, 1952) is an Algerian politician. He has served as Prime Minister of Algeria twice.

Ouyahia was born in the village of Bouadnane in the Wilaya of Tizi Ouzou in the Kabylie region of Algeria on July 2nd, 1952. Following a primary education starting in Algiers in the academic year 1958/1959 and ending in the academic year 1964/1965, Ouyahia followed a secondary education at the Lycee El Idrissi in Algiers starting from the academic year 1965/1966. Ouyahia obtained his diploma of Baccalauréat ès-lettres in 1972.

In 1972, Ahmed Ouyahia joined the entry examination for the "Ecole Nationale d'Administration" of Algiers. Having scored among the top three applicants, along with Ahmed Attaf, Ouyahia joined the Ecole Nationale d'Administration and specialised in Diplomacy. He graduated in 1976, and did his military service in 1977/1978. During this period, Ahmed Ouyahia did his military placement at the El Mouradia compound of the Algerian Presidency where he was a member of the press relations team.

In 1978 Ouyahia joined the Foreign Affairs ministry and was assigned to the African Affairs Department. In 1981 he was sent as an advisor for foreign affairs to the ambassador of Algeria in Côte d'Ivoire, where he served there until 1984. In 1984 he was assigned as a foreign affairs advisor to the Head of the Permanent Mission of Algeria at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

From 1988 to 1989 Ouyahia became co-representative to the UN's Security Council. From 1990 to 1991 he was an advisor to the Foreign Affairs Minister of Algeria in Algiers. In 1991 Ouyahia became the general director of the African Department of the Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry.

He led the African Department until August 1992 when he was sent as Algeria's ambassador to Mali where he secured a peace deal between the warring Malian government and the Azawad Touareg movement, with his "Pacte National" treaty. In August 1993, Ouyahia was called back to Algiers to serve in the government of Redha Malek as Under Secretary of State for African and Arab Affairs.

In April 1994 he was nominated as the Cabinet Director of President Liamine Zeroual, where he was in charge of political affairs such as the negotiations with the leaders of the banned Islamic Salvation Front party (FIS) and the preparations of the 1995 presidential elections that President Liamine Zeroual won in November 1995.

In December 1995 Ouyahia was nominated Prime Minister and held that position until December 1999, when he resigned following the election of Abdelaziz Bouteflika to the presidency of Algeria. In 2000 Ouyahia was elected leader of his party, the National Rally for Democracy (RND). He was nominated as State Minister and Minister of Justice in 2000 under President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's first government. During this time Ouyahia was assigned the task of securing a peace deal in the war between Ethiopia and Erythrea, by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who was also President of Organisation for African Unity during the year 2000. Ouyahia worked in conjunction with Anthony Lake, former National Security Advisor to President William J. Clinton of the United States, and a peace deal was secured and signed in Algiers in December 2000.

In June 2002, following the defeat of the National Rally for Democracy at the legislative elections, Ouyahia resigned and was nominated in the next government as State Minister, Special Representative of the President, an honorary position entailing no governing power. In May 2003, Ouyahia was nominated Prime Minister for a second time, following a political crisis between President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Prime Minister Ali Benflis who was dismissed. Ouyahia served as prime minister for three years, until his resignation on May 24, 2006 amidst political arguments between Ouyahia's political party and Bouteflika's political party, the FLN.