ALGIERS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Algeria's interim President Abdelkader Bensalah on Wednesday named Abderrahmane Arar as chief of the National Gendarmerie force in succession of Ghali Belkecir, the presidency said in a statement.
Belkecir had been chief of the National Gendarmerie since July 2018.
Arar occupied several positions in the military institution. He was chief of staff of the first Command Zone in Blida province, near Algiers, and chief of the sixth Regional Command in the southernmost province of Tamanrasset.
The National Gendarmerie, a key security organ in Algeria, is affiliated with the Defense Ministry and is responsible for assuring security in rural and semi-urban areas.
It includes units of law enforcement, road safety, forensics, anti-corruption, combating cyber and organized crimes, as well as border guards.
