Ben Bella, Ahmed (äkhmed' ben bel'lä) [key], 1919–, Algerian statesman. After World War II he joined the Algerian nationalist movement and soon became a leader of its terrorist faction. He later (1952–56) served as director of the movement. Imprisoned (1956–62) for his activities, he became Algeria's first premier after independence was declared in 1962 and was elected president in 1963. In 1965, Ben Bella's government was toppled in a coup led by Houari Boumedienne and kept under house arrest until 1979.
