Algeria’s Bouteflika changes finance, interior ministers

ALGIERS  – Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Thursday named new ministers for finance and interior in a cabinet reshuffle, but kept Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi and Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal in their posts, private local channel Ennahar TV said.

The presidency did not immediately confirm the reshuffle, but Ennahar is close to the government. It often has exclusives on government decisions before the official announcement.

The change comes at a sensitive time for OPEC member Algeria as the government looks to counter a slide in its vital oil revenues after a collapse in global crude prices and deal with security along its frontier with Libya.