On February 20, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called off a scheduled visit to Algiers at the last minute because the veteran president was suffering from "acute bronchitis".

Bouteflika won re-election in 2014 to serve a fourth term, despite having suffered a mini-stroke the previous year that has affected his speech and mobility.

He has been confined to a wheelchair since the stroke, meeting foreign guests at his home in Zeralda west of the capital and making few public appearances.