Algeria: Death Of Army Chief Of Staff Gaid Salah And Appointment Of A Successor

The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Monday declared a three-day national mourning following the death after a heart attack of Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Chief of Staff of the National People’s Army (ANP), according to a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic.

“Following the death of the Moujahid, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, the President of the Republic, Minister of National Defense, Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has decreed a national mourning of three days and seven days for the institution of the ANP,” said the same source.

The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Monday appointed Major General Said Chengriha as acting Chief of Staff of the National People’s Army (ANP) following the death of Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, said a statement from the presidency of the Republic.

Major General Said Chengriha, who was appointed on Monday as Acting Chief of Staff of the National People’s Army (NPA), following the death of Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, has held several positions in the ANP Army, the last of which was that of Commander of the Land Forces.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Chief of Staff of the National People’s Army (ANP), who died Monday after a heart attack at the age of 80, is a moujahid of the first hour, with a rich career within the ANP Army in the service of this institution and Algeria.

He was born on January 13, 1940 in the wilaya or province of Batna, eastern Algeria.

As a young militant of the nationalist movement, he joined the maquis or the mountain bush at the age of 17, where he climbed the ranks of the hierarchy to be appointed Company Commander, respectively in the 21st, 29th, and 39th battalions of the National Liberation Army, according to his biography published on the website of the Ministry of National Defense.

At independence, after a training cycle in Algeria for two (02) years and in the former USSR for two (02) years as well, from 1969 to 1971, he graduated from the Vystrel Academy (Moscow).

The deceased participated, in 1968, in the Middle East campaign in Egypt.

Gaid Salah had to assume the following functions within the land battle corps: Artillery Group Commander, Brigade Commander, Commander of the Central Operational Sector / Bordj Lotfi 3rd Military Region , Commander of the Reserve Officer Training School/Blida/1st Military Region, Commander of the Southern Operational Sector of Tindouf in 3rd Military Region, Deputy Commander of the 5th Military Region, Commander of the 3rd Military Region and Commander of the 2nd Military Region.

Gaïd Salah was promoted to the rank of Major General on 5 July 1993 and Commander of the Land Forces in 1994.

On 3 August 2004, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the ANP Army before being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General on 5 July 2006.

Since 11 September 2013, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah had served as Deputy Minister of National Defense, Chief of Staff of the ANP Army.

He was awarded the ALN medal, the ANP medal 3rd chevron, medal of participation of the ANP in the Middle East wars of 1967 and 1973, the medal of Bravery, in addition to the medal of military merit and the medal of honor.

Last Thursday, the late Ahmed Gaid Salah was awarded the medal of the National Order of Merit of rank “SADR” by the new President of the Republic Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in recognition of his great efforts and major role during this sensitive period which made it possible to respect the Constitution and preserve the security of citizens, the country and the institutions of the Algerian Republic.