Background
Boualem Benhamouda was born on March 8, 1933 in Cherchell, Algeria.
Boualem Benhamouda was born on March 8, 1933 in Cherchell, Algeria.
Boualem Benhamouda was educated locally and in Algiers, where he received a law degree.
After joining the National Liberation Army (ALN) in 1956 he rose to become a captain on the headquarters staff of Wilaya IV. By the time independence was achieved in 1962 he was an influential member of the politbureau at Tlemcen.
In September 1962 he was elected MP for El Asnam and in April 16, 1964 he was appointed a member of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front (FLN).
When Boumedienne came to power in the coup of June 1965 he brought Benhamouda into government as Minister of War Veterans. In the major reshuffle of July 1970 he was appointed Minister of Justice, a post which enabled him to apply his legal and administrative ability to simplifying the judicial processes and to finding ways of discouraging juvenile offenders from becoming habitual criminals. On occasions he represents the President abroad as he did in January 1973 when he went to Ghana.