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The Algerian government aircraft that drove President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to Geneva for medical treatment landed at Cointrin airport in Geneva after leaving Algeria on Sunday morning.
The Gulfstream 4SP had not been found since Algeria since the Algerian authorities had announced in February that it would be going to the Swiss city for unspecified medical examinations.
The president, who is confined to a wheelchair, has rarely been seen in public since his stroke in 2013, which has led critics to wonder if he was being used as a puppet candidate by a faction of civilian personalities and military.
Mbadive demonstrations began on February 22 to denounce Bouteflika's plans to extend his power during the April 18 election.
The students were at the heart of the demonstrations and mDemonstrations against the ore are expected Sunday after the closing of Algerian universities two weeks before a holiday, ostensibly to defuse student-led rallies against Bouteflika.
The decision of the Ministry of Higher Education on Saturday was taken a day after tens of thousands of protesters invaded the center of Algiers.
Without giving any reason, the ministry announced in a decree that the break week would be advanced by 10 days, from Sunday to April 4.
Teachers and students from several universities went on strike, while others promised to start striking Sunday.
While Friday's rallies in Algiers and elsewhere were generally calm, police reportedly used tear gas in several parts of the capital, including blocking the road to the presidential palace.
State media also said that security forces arrested 195 demonstrators, citing offenses including looting.
Bouteflika has been in Geneva, Switzerland, for two weeks for what his office has described as "routine medical tests".
On Thursday, he issued his first warning to the protesters, saying that the move, which was entering its third week, could create chaos in this North African country, producer of oil and natural gas.
Bouteflika proposed to limit his term after the elections and is committed to changing the "system" that runs the country. The promises, however, failed to appease public anger, galvanizing discontent among the various sectors, particularly students and other young people.
Some longtime Bouteflika allies, including members of the ruling FLN party, have expressed their support for the protesters, revealing cracks in a ruling elite long regarded as invincible.
"This time, it's quite different.What we see now, is a momentum that is gaining momentum in Algeria," said Hashem Ahelbarra, of Al Jazeera, who has largely covered the region, about current events.
"Many people think that if this momentum continues over the next two weeks, it could change the situation," added Ahelbarra.
Ahelbarra said a key date for the country would be March 13, when the Algerian constitutional committee must determine the legitimacy of the candidatures presented for the elections next month.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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