Through the DRS' networks, Mediène was believed to hold significant power in Algeria's media, business lobbies, army, and different political parties. "The Economist" wrote in 2012 that "The most powerful man in the land may be Mohamed Mediène, known as Toufiq...". In 2013 "The Economist" reported: "Despite his leading role in defeating Islamic militants in a brutal civil war between 1991 and 2000, and his less public role as kingmaker in the "pouvoir", General Mediene’s face remains unknown; it is said that anyone who has seen it expires soon after." 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." Regardless if this rumor is true or not, the popularity of this rumor says much about Mediène's reputation in Algeria, a man widely viewed as the "Darth Vader" of Algerian politics. 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.