Algerian leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika returned to the North African country Sunday after two weeks in a Swiss hospital undergoing “routine medical checks”, said the presidency, quoted by the official APS news agency, Trend reports referring to Al Arabiya.
The 82-year-old president had departed for Geneva on February 24, two days after tens of thousands demonstrated against his bid for a fifth term in office.
The presidency’s confirmation follows Algerian media reports that Bouteflika’s plane had landed at the Boufarik military base south of Algiers.
Earlier in the day, several Algerian media outlets were quoting Bouteflika’s campaign manager as saying that the president was committed to early elections and holding a national forum. He was also quoted as saying that Bouteflika announced his intention to “change the regime.”