Gaid Salah: “ANP Army takes the same fight against terrorism as it did against colonialism”

Army Corps General, Deputy Minister of National Defense and Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army (ANP), Gaid Salah, conducted on Wednesday a working visit of inspection at the Military Academy of Cherchell, 100 km west of Algiers, and on the eve of the annual ceremony for new promotions.

During his visit to this “great training citadel”, General Gaid Salah  reiterated the determination of the ANP, worthy heir of the National Liberation Army (NLA), and its commitment to fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities in fidelity to the message of the lofty Chouhada or Martyrs of the Glorious November Revolution and face up to all challenges by waging the same battle against the terrorism scourge, because the methods and terrorist targets are not different from those of colonialism, as he put it.

General Gaid Salah recalled to this effect that the heinous French colonialism “lashed at the fundamentals of our national identity and our cultural heritage notably religion and language, so as to tighten the noose around the Algerian people by forcing them to flee their own lands to join other countries.”

“This juncture nowadays makes us face the same challenges, and in the grips of  this counter-terrorism battle, we will remain, within the ANP, deeply faithful to the oath in the same way, and victory will be ours, thanks to Allah the Almighty, as the NLA did previously during the national liberation war against the harsh French colonial yoke,” he insisted.

Moreover, General Gaid Salah, accompanied by Major General Achène Tafer, Commander Land Forces, Major General Habib Chentouf, commander of the 1st Military Region and Major General Ali Sidane, commander of the Cherchell Military Academy, started his visit by naming this great citadel of military training and knowledge after late President Houari Boumediene.

This great national personality who had devoted all his life to the service of his country, as a Moujahid, Chief of the General Staff of the NLA during the Glorious November Revolution, and as Minister of National Defense on the eve of Algeria’s hard-won independence, or as head of state until he passed away and joined his Creator.

“Thus, the late Algerian President deserves to be the best model for the students of this military Academy and to serve as an outstanding example to follow owing to his honest work and deep love of the motherland,” said the National Defense Ministry in a statement.