Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Martin Shalli is a former

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

n diplomat and military commander. In 2005, he was appointed as Namibia's High Commissioner to

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

by President

Sam Nujoma Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma ( ; 12May 19298February 2025) was a Namibian revolutionary, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three terms as the first president of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005. Nujoma was a founding member and t ...

, but he was recalled in October 2006 by Nujoma's successor,

Hifikepunye Pohamba Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born 18 August 1935) is a Namibian politician who served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He won the 2004 Namibian presidential election, 2004 presidential election overwhelming ...

, and appointed as Chief of the

Namibia Defence Force The Namibian Defence Force (NDF) comprises the national military forces of Namibia. It was created when the country, then known as South West Africa, gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Chapter 15 of the Constitution of Nami ...

(NDF). He replaced controversial NDF commander Solomon Huwala, and he was replaced as High Commissioner to Zambia by regional councillor Solomon Witbooi. In July 2009, Shalli was suspended by President Pohamba due to "serious allegations of irregularities"."Defence Chief Suspended"
''New Era'', 23 July 2009. Without the alleged irregularities being proven, refuted, or even officially substantiated, Shalli retired with full military privileges in January 2011.

Career

PLAN

Shalli joined

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO ; , SWAVO; , SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa). Founded in 1960, it has been ...

's military wing, the

People's Liberation Army of Namibia The People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) was the military wing of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO). It fought against the South African Defence Force (SADF) and South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) during the S ...

(PLAN) in 1971 in exile and eventually was trained as an anti-aircraft artillery battalion commander in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

before eventually becoming a PLAN platoon commander, he was then appointed to Detachment commander. Shalli was then promoted to the position of Chief of Air Defence at the North Eastern front, afterwards he was made Chief of Staff of the North Eastern Front. By the end of the war he was the PLAN Chief of Operations.

NDF

When PLAN merged into the military structure to help create independent Namibia's military, the Namibia Defence Force, Shalli was given the position of Policy and Operations Director with the rank of Brigadier General.Shalli New NDF Chief
New Era, 23 October 2006 He was then promoted to major general and appointed NDF Chief of Staff in 1995 replacing Major General Charles Namholo. Between 2000 and 2005 he was the Army Commander with the rank of major general. He was then appointed in 2005 to 2006 as the Namibian High Commissioner to Zambia. In 2006 he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed to Chief of Defence Force, Namibian Defence Force. In 2009, Shalli was suspended from the NDF due to allegations of fraud. He allegedly had large amounts of money given to him by a company working in Namibia from the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

from which the NDF bought equipment. Major General Peter Nambundunga was appointed to Act in position.

Honours and decorations

* Order of Eagle 2nd Class * Omugulugwombashe Medal * Army Pioneer Medal ribbon

Army Pioneer Medal * Mandume Ya Ndemufayo Operation ribbon

Operation Mandume campaign Medal * NDF commendation ribbon

NDF Commendation Medal * Namibian Cross for bravery (Gold) Medal * Namibian Cross for bravery (Silver) Medal

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shalli, Martin Living people High commissioners of Namibia to Zambia People's Liberation Army of Namibia personnel Namibian military personnel 1954 births