Ali Said Abdella
Encyclopedia
Ali Said Abdella was an Eritrea
n rebel commander, politician and diplomat, who at the time of his death was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Eritrea.
Ali Said was the son of a shepherd
. He was of Afar ethnic origin. As a young man, he joined the Eritrean Liberation Front
, a rebel group which was fighting for Eritrean independence from Ethiopia
. He received medical and military training in Syria
in 1965 and soon returned to Eritrea where he was an active fighter. By the 1970s he had switched to Eritrea's other rebel group, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front
and, in 1977, he became a member of the politburo
of that organization. He was the commander of Nacfa front when the city was liberated in 1977.
When Eritrea gained independence in the early 1990s, Ali Said served in the new government, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs. He was then appointed as Minister of Trade and Industry in February 1997. In October 2000, Ali Said was moved from his position as Minister of Trade and Industry to that of Minister of Foreign Affairs, switching jobs with Haile Woldense
. He was considered to be a hardliner in Eritrea's continuing struggles with Ethiopia over the border, and was known as a proponent of stronger relations for Eritrea with Middle Eastern nations. He was a fluent Arabic
speaker, and most of his overseas trips were to Middle Eastern countries. He also made an official visit to Russia
in April 2005.
Ali Said died suddenly of a heart attack
in his sleep at his home in Eritrea's capital, Asmara
, on August 28, 2005. The Eritrean government declared three days of public mourning for him.
Ali Said was married and had four children.
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
n rebel commander, politician and diplomat, who at the time of his death was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Eritrea.
Ali Said was the son of a shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
. He was of Afar ethnic origin. As a young man, he joined the Eritrean Liberation Front
Eritrean Liberation Front
The Eritrean Liberation Front was the main independence movement in Eritrea which sought Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia during the 1960s and 1970s. In the very late 1950s unorganized political movement seeking independence was secretly active as small cells...
, a rebel group which was fighting for Eritrean independence from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. He received medical and military training in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in 1965 and soon returned to Eritrea where he was an active fighter. By the 1970s he had switched to Eritrea's other rebel group, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front
Eritrean People's Liberation Front
The Eritrean People's Liberation Front was an armed organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. It emerged in 1970 as an intellectual left-wing group that split from the Eritrean Liberation Front .-Background:...
and, in 1977, he became a member of the politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
of that organization. He was the commander of Nacfa front when the city was liberated in 1977.
When Eritrea gained independence in the early 1990s, Ali Said served in the new government, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs. He was then appointed as Minister of Trade and Industry in February 1997. In October 2000, Ali Said was moved from his position as Minister of Trade and Industry to that of Minister of Foreign Affairs, switching jobs with Haile Woldense
Haile Woldense
Haile Woldense is an Eritrean politician.Woldense attended High School in Asmara, Eritrea. After graduation he was accepted to the Addis Ababa University engineering program...
. He was considered to be a hardliner in Eritrea's continuing struggles with Ethiopia over the border, and was known as a proponent of stronger relations for Eritrea with Middle Eastern nations. He was a fluent Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
speaker, and most of his overseas trips were to Middle Eastern countries. He also made an official visit to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in April 2005.
Ali Said died suddenly of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in his sleep at his home in Eritrea's capital, Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
, on August 28, 2005. The Eritrean government declared three days of public mourning for him.
Ali Said was married and had four children.