Lt. Gen. Mohamed Lamari (7 June 1939 – 13 February 2012) ( ar, محمد العماري) was
Chief of Staff of the Algerian army during most of the
Algerian Civil War.
Personal life
He was born on 7 June 1939 in
Biskra
Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&n ...
, to a family originally from
Bordj Benazzouz (near
Biskra
Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&n ...
).
Early military career
He joined the
French army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...
, completing his training in the cavalry at the Ecole de guerre in
Saumur. In 1961, seven years into the
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
(and just a year before independence), he changed sides, joining the
National Liberation Army. After independence, he trained as an artilleryman at the
M. V. Frunze Military Academy
The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...
, then as a general staff officer at the Ecole de Guerre in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. From 1970 to 1976 he commanded a regional general staff, then he worked in the general staff operational bureau until 1988, when he became commander of the 5th military region (eastern Algeria around
Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
*Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
). In 1989, he became commander of ground forces.
Lamari's sons include Farid (a military dentist) and Mourad, an adviser at the Algerian embassy to
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
Civil war
In the military coup of 1992 that started the
Algerian Civil War, he was prominent among the officers demanding then-President
Chadli Bendjedid
Chadli Bendjedid ( ar, الشاذلي بن جديد; ALA-LC: ''ash-Shādhilī bin Jadīd''; 14 April 1929 – 6 October 2012) was the third President of Algeria and an Algerian Nationalist. His presidential term of office ran from 9 February 19 ...
's resignation. According to
Mohamed Samraoui, he was relieved of his functions by the next President, the short-lived
Mohamed Boudiaf
Mohamed Boudiaf (23 June 1919 – 29 June 1992, ar, محمد بوضياف; ALA-LC: ''Muḥammad Bū-Ḍiyāf''), also called Si Tayeb el Watani, was an Algerian political leader and one of the founders of the revolutionary National Liberat ...
, in March 1992, and only regained them after Boudiaf's assassination. He was then put in charge of an anti-terrorism task force of 15,000 soldiers, the CCLAS (''Centre de commandement de la lutte antisubversive''). In July 1993, as
Liamine Zeroual became Minister of Defense, Mohamed Lamari became Chief of Staff, a post in which he would remain for more than a decade of war.
Politically, he was considered an
eradicationist, rejecting the idea of negotiation with the government's Islamist opponents. In his capacity as head of the CCLAS, he was accused by
Mohamed Samraoui of ultimately controlling the
Organisation of Young Free Algerians, a pro-government armed group claiming credit for various attacks on civilians.
Controversy
In 2002, he caused some controversy by publicly claiming that the military was no longer involved in national politics, the crisis of the 1990s being past; this claim angered other generals. In August 2004, he resigned and retired, ostensibly for health reasons; he was rumoured to have had differences with President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ar, عبد العزيز بوتفليقة, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Būtaflīqa ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as President of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019 ...
.
[Anis Rahmani]
"Bouteflika accepte la démission du Général-major Mohamed Lamari"
''El Khabar'', 27 July 2004 . He was replaced by General
Ahmed Gaid Salah
Ahmed Gaid Salah ( ar, أحمد قايد صالح; 13 January 1940 – 23 December 2019) was a senior leader in the Algerian People's National Army. In 2004, he was appointed by then-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to the position of chief of staf ...
.
References
External links
Biographie de Lamari Mohamed ''Le Jeune Indépendant'', 4 aout 2004
Le Point – n°1583 – semaine du 15 janvier 2003
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamari, Mohamed
1939 births
2012 deaths
People from Algiers
Algerian military personnel
Politics of Algeria
Defectors from the French army to the ALN
Frunze Military Academy alumni
Algerian generals
21st-century Algerian people