[1] Shortly after independence, he joined other NLA military members in studying at a KGB school in the Soviet Union.
He was then posted to the 2nd military region (around Oran, bordering Morocco), then commanded by future President Chadli Bendjedid, where he established ties with Larbi Belkheir.
At the time of the 1991 legislative election, which was won by the Islamic Salvation Front, Mediene joined a group of ruling generals in Les éradicateurs ("the Eradicator") faction.
[5] Preceding this, Ahmed Gaid Salah, the Deputy Minister of Defense, accused the DRS of complacency in failing to prevent the In Amenas hostage crisis.
[6] Through the DRS' networks, Mediène was believed to hold significant power in Algeria's media, business lobbies, army, and different political parties.
"[7] A popular rumor in Algeria that cannot be verified has it that Mediène "always receives people in his office with his back turned - if you see his face, this is the last time you see someone in your life.
[8] A popular game in Algeria is attempting to identify Mediène by examining photographs from the 1980s and 1990s of official functions to see if he can be found.