Ahmad al-Ghashmi

Ahmad bin Hussein al-Ghashmi
أحمد حسين الغشمي
Ghashmi in 1976
4th President of the Yemen Arab Republic
In office
11 October 1977 – 24 June 1978
Prime MinisterAbdul Aziz Abdul Ghani
Preceded byIbrahim al-Hamdi
Succeeded byAbdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi
Personal details
Born(1935-08-21)21 August 1935
Hamdan District, Sana'a Governorate, Kingdom of Yemen
Died24 June 1978(1978-06-24) (aged 42)
Sana'a, North Yemen
Manner of deathAssassination
Political partyNone (Military)
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of Yemen (1956–1962)
 North Yemen (1962–1978)
Years of service1956–1978
Rank Major General
Battles/wars

Ahmad bin Hussein al-Ghashmi (21 August 1935 – 24 June 1978)[1] (Arabic: أحمد حسين الغشمي, romanized: Aḥmad Ḥusayn al-Ghašmī) was a Yemeni military officer who served as the fourth President of the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) from 11 October 1977 until his assassination eight months later. Al-Ghashmi had assumed power when his predecessor, Ibrahim al-Hamdi, was assassinated.[2]

Early life and career

Ahmed al-Ghashmi was born on 21 August 1935 in Hamdan District, Sanaa Governorate, North Yemen.[3] According to some sources he was born in 1938,[1] but according to others[3] he was born in 1941.

After the coup d'état of September 26, 1962 and the subsequent outbreak of the North Yemen Civil War (1962-1970) began. Al-Gashmi defected to the republican side of Abdullah al-Sallal against the royalists under Muhammad al-Badr.[3][1]

By the time Ibrahim al-Hamdi was president of North Yemen, al-Gashmi was vice president of the Leadership Council and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.[3]

On 11 October 1977, al-Hamdi was assassinated and al-Gashmi took over the country.[1][2] A man believed to be a Saudi agent was accused of assassinating the president. Al-Gashmi himself was also suspected.[4][5][6]

Activities as President

President al-Ghashmi reinstated the 1970 Constitution, which had previously been suspended by al-Hamdi, the country's previous President, in 1974. However, an important body such as the Consultative Council was not reinstated, and at the same time the office of the President was introduced.[7]

He appointed Ali Abdullah Saleh as military governor in Taiz, who became the next president.[8]

Death

His assassination occurred on 24 June 1978 when he was meeting an envoy sent by People's Democratic Republic of Yemen President, Salim Rubai Ali. A briefcase, reportedly containing a secret message, exploded, killing both al-Ghashmi and the envoy. It is not conclusively known who set off the explosion.[2][9]

Coincidentally, Rubai Ali died in a coup three days after this event.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Index Ge-Gj". Rulers.org. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  2. ^ a b c Varisco, Daniel Martin (16 August 2013). "At the end of Aden". Times Literary Supplement. NI Syndication Limited. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "A History of Yemeni Presidents". National Yemen Newspaper. Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. ^ Metcalfe, Beverley; Mimouni, Fouad (1 January 2011). Leadership Development in the Middle East. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85793-811-4. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. ^ Terrill, W. Andrew (2011). "The Conflicts in Yemen and U.s. National Security". Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ^ Derhem, Waleed (11 June 2020). "The tribe during president Saleh: a friend or a foe". Theses and Dissertations. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  7. ^ Burrowes, Robert D. (1992). "The Yemen Arab Republic's Legacy and Yemeni Unification". Arab Studies Quarterly. pp. 41–68. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  8. ^ Aziz, Mr Sajid (28 July 2015). "Yemen Conundrum". CISS Insight Journal. pp. P65–78. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  9. ^ "President of Yemen Reported Murdered". The New York Times. Associated Press. 25 June 1978. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
Preceded by President of North Yemen
1977–1978 		Succeeded by