Background
He was born on July 25, 1925 in Niger.
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Arabe Chawa Balla
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Chief of General Staff. An honest professional soldier, who has risen from the ranks, he has proven his absolute loyalty to the government, without the slightest hint of any military intervention since independence in August 1960. He was appointed Chief of Staff by President Hamani Diori in October 1962 despite the fact that he is not the most senior ranking officer in the Niger army.
Education
He was educated locally and trained as a soldier in Senegal and then at a non-commissioned officers’ training school in France.
Career
Serving in the ranks of the French army, he was in Madagascar from 1946 to 1949, in Algeria from 1956 to 1957. He became commander of Ground Forces in February 1967. He now runs an army which numbers some 2,000 men, with a gendarmerie of 400 and a national guard of 1,000 men. There is also a tiny air force.
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Born
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Nationality
Nigerian
Career
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October, 1962