Rachid Ammar
Rachid Ammar is the chief of staff of the Tunisian army[1]. 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.[1] Ali then sacked Ammar for not obeying his order.[2] On January 14, Ali fled Tunisia. On January 15, The Economist Online reported that the Tunisian military was being led by Ammar.[3]
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.[4] The same helicopter crash also killed five colonels, four majors and two lieutenants.[5]
Ammar is a member of the Higher Armies Council 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 Ali from the rank of Divisional General to that of Corps General.
References
- ^ a b http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/world/africa/16tunis.html
- ^ "Tunisia protests: Live bullets fired in central Tunis". BBC. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ^ "A Dictator Deposed". The Economist Online. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ^ Maher, ed. Joanne (2006). The Middle East and North Africa 2007 (53. ed. ed.). London: Routledge. p. 1076. ISBN 9781857433906.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help);|first=has generic name (help) - ^ "Tunisian army chief dies in air crash". BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2011.