Rachid Ammar
Encyclopedia
Rachid Ammar(1947 or 1948- ) is the Chief of Staff of the Tunisian Armed Forces. On January 13, 2011, Ammar refused to follow the orders of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
, then president of Tunisia, to shoot protesters participating in the 2010–2011 Tunisian protests. He responded to the order, "Agree to deploy soldiers to calm the situation, but the army does not shoot the people". Ben Ali then sacked Ammar for not obeying his order and put him under house arrest. On January 14, Ben Ali fled Tunisia and Ammar was reinstated by Mohamed Ghannouchi
. On January 15, The Economist Online reported that the Tunisian military was being led by Ammar. The New York Times
reported there was speculation that Ammar will take over the country and become president. The Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum
reported that the embassy of the United States had told Ammar to take control of Tunisia if the country became politically unstable. Almasry Alyoum also reported that the uprising had "shocked" the military.
, a small town on the coast of Tunisia.
Ammar was promoted to chief of staff from the rank of colonel
after the chief of staff, Abdelaziz Skik, was killed in a 2002 helicopter crash.,which is considered mysterious by several soldiers and journalists who have also hold Ben Ali's government responsible. Since the crash, the Tunisian army and the Tunisian presidency have seen a lack of trust. The same helicopter crash also killed five colonels, four majors and two lieutenants.
Ammar is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was received along with other members of the council by Ali at a ceremony during the summer of 2010. There, Ammar was promoted by Ben Ali from the rank of Divisional General to that of Corps General.
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a Tunisian political figure who was the second President of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed Prime Minister in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President Habib Bourguiba, who was...
, then president of Tunisia, to shoot protesters participating in the 2010–2011 Tunisian protests. He responded to the order, "Agree to deploy soldiers to calm the situation, but the army does not shoot the people". Ben Ali then sacked Ammar for not obeying his order and put him under house arrest. On January 14, Ben Ali fled Tunisia and Ammar was reinstated by Mohamed Ghannouchi
Mohamed Ghannouchi
Mohamed Ghannouchi was the Prime Minister of Tunisia and was self-proclaimed acting President of the country for a few hours starting 14 January 2011, under Article 56 of the Constitution of Tunisia...
. On January 15, The Economist Online reported that the Tunisian military was being led by Ammar. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported there was speculation that Ammar will take over the country and become president. The Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum
Almasry Alyoum
Al-Masry Al-Youm is an Egyptian privately owned daily newspaper that was first published in June 2004. It is published in Arabic and has a website in both Arabic and English...
reported that the embassy of the United States had told Ammar to take control of Tunisia if the country became politically unstable. Almasry Alyoum also reported that the uprising had "shocked" the military.
Biography
Born in either 1947 or 1948, Ammar is from SayadaSayada
Sayada is a city in the Sahel region of Tunisia. It is located about fifteen kilometers south of Monastir. It is part of the administrative governorate of Monastir, and is the county seat of the Sayada-Lamta-Bou Hajar Delegation which has a population of 22,944 people.-Notes:...
, a small town on the coast of Tunisia.
Ammar was promoted to chief of staff from the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
after the chief of staff, Abdelaziz Skik, was killed in a 2002 helicopter crash.,which is considered mysterious by several soldiers and journalists who have also hold Ben Ali's government responsible. Since the crash, the Tunisian army and the Tunisian presidency have seen a lack of trust. The same helicopter crash also killed five colonels, four majors and two lieutenants.
Ammar is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was received along with other members of the council by Ali at a ceremony during the summer of 2010. There, Ammar was promoted by Ben Ali from the rank of Divisional General to that of Corps General.