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Ahmad al-Ghashmi
President of North Yemen from 1977 to 1978 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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 likewise assassinated.[2]
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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]
In 1974, al-Ghashmi allied himself with Ibrahim al-Hamdi and other officers in opposition to President Abdul Rahman al-Eryani. This resulted in a coup d'état known as the June 13th Movement, which led to the overthrow of the government and the establishment of a Military Command Council, which al-Ghashmi joined.[4] 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-Ghashmi 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.[5][6][7]
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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.[8] The presidency was restored on 22 April 1978, when the Constituent People's Assembly approved the abolition of the Military Command Council and appointed al-Ghashmi as president.[9][10]
He appointed Ali Abdullah Saleh as military governor in Taiz, who became the next president.[11]
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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][12]
Coincidentally, Rubai Ali died in a coup three days after this event.
See also
References
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