Observers in Algeria believe that the most prominent names proposed to succeed Boualem Boualem, Director of the Office at the Presidency of the Republic and one of those close to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who died yesterday, Monday, will be limited to Ibrahim Murad, the Minister of State in charge of inspecting the interests of the state and local groups, for whom this position was created after he left the Ministry of the Interior, and Prime Minister Saifi Gharib.
These speculations come after the Algerian presidency confirmed that the death of Boualem Boualem (74 years old) was in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, “where he was receiving treatment, following a terminal illness,” without any other details regarding his illness and the circumstances of his death.
Boualem Boualem was born on October 16, 1952, in Ain Sefra, western Algeria. He was a former judge, and held several important positions in the state until 2019. He was also a member of the National Assembly (the upper parliamentary chamber) for the pro-authority National Democratic Rally party between 2007 and 2012.
Since assuming the presidency at the end of 2019, Abdelmadjid Tebboune has assigned an important aspect of the legal files to former judge Boualem Boualem, who quickly became one of the most prominent men of trust within the presidency. Over time, his influence strengthened, becoming director of the presidential office and a pivotal figure in managing files behind the scenes, to the point that a number of presidential decisions passed through him. He quickly became one of the indispensable loyalists of the head of state.
Boualem was also among those who contributed to reviewing several laws and legislation, which were “necessary for the stability of the state” in the eyes of the president, while opponents and human rights activists saw it as an additional step to narrow the spaces for freedom and democratic action.
A suspicious absence
Boualem Boualem's absence from a number of presidential activities in recent months has raised some questions, and his last known public appearance was until April 22, when he participated in an official presidential activity. The man was considered President Tebboune's mastermind, which explains his importance within the team surrounding the head of state.
Moreover, his prolonged absence opened the door wide to rumors and speculation, as political readings considered it a reflection of potential tensions and conflicts between decision-making circles.
The presidency did not see the need to announce the vacancy of the position in the recent period, at a time when the work of the presidential office continued in the presence of Ibrahim Murad, a former Minister of the Interior, and currently the Minister in charge of inspecting the interests of the state and local groups. This position was created and Ibrahim Murad assumed it during the broad government reshuffle, which was announced in mid-September 2025. This position represents a new rank for him, and is of a supervisory and strategic nature attached to the presidency.
Mourad's increasing presence in the activities of the Presidency of the Republic, especially during the reception of foreign officials and delegations, has raised questions in political and media circles about whether President Tebboune is preparing him to assume Boualem Boualem's duties. This possibility gains greater importance in light of news circulating about the possibility of appointing Boualem as Algerian ambassador to France, as the position of ambassador is still vacant, at a time when Algerian-French relations are going through a stage of tension and sensitivity.
Those close to Boualem say that the deterioration of his health condition and his hospitalization in Belgium during the spring of last year led him to limit his activity, before he moved to his villa in Oran, western Algeria.
According to observers, Boualem Boualem was not just a presidential advisor, but rather carried out sensitive tasks, including following up on files and investigations related to appointments to senior positions and responsibilities. With his death, President Tebboune has lost his second most prominent and close aide after the death of Minister Counselor and Spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic, Mohamed Al-Saeed, in 2022, who was treated for a year in France due to a stroke.
Succession options
Following the announcement of Boualem’s death, Algeria’s former ambassador to the European Union, Ammar Blani, wrote on his social media account: “I knew him in the course of performing my duties, and I had the opportunity to touch, through our continuous communication, a very respectable, courteous man, who possessed great human qualities,” noting that “behind the burdens of position and responsibilities, I discovered a man who was humble and available to everyone, attentive to others, and possessed true elegance in human dealings.” “I keep a fond personal memory of him, whose seriousness never prevented him from being open, kind, and good-spirited.”
Murad has extensive knowledge of the administration and the state, an experience that intersects with President Tebboune’s knowledge of the bureaucratic apparatus and local administration. He accumulated this experience during his career as governor, and then during his tenure as the Ministry of Interior between 2023 and 2025.
As part of the redistribution of responsibilities, Ibrahim Murad was appointed Minister of State in charge of inspecting the interests of the state and local groups, noting that he also took over the management of Tebboune’s electoral campaign in 2024, thus finding himself in a position that combines part of the tasks previously undertaken by Boualem Boualem, and his new governmental responsibilities.
As for Prime Minister Seifi Gharib, by virtue of his rapid move from the industrial sector as one of its prominent executives, to the Ministry of the sector itself, and then to the Prime Minister’s Office, he has become a familiar name within the circle of executives, who move in the space separating the government palace and the presidency.
If the man does not represent a declared candidate in and of himself, his moving path makes him, in the eyes of some politicians, a potential figure in the equation of the upcoming arrangements, especially since President Tebboune sometimes tends to re-employ the competencies, who have tested the sensitive wheels of the administration, to fill the major voids left by the departure of some symbols.
