Life History of Sultan Alimirah

About the Book

Sultan Alimirah Hanfare (1921–2011) was born in Awsa, Ethiopia, in a village called Fursee. He was born to father, Hanfare Aydahis, and mother, Hawy Omar, in the early 1920s. His grandfather, Mohammed Hanfare Illalta, was a famous king of Afar, who participated in the Adwa battle with Emperor Minilik against the Italians. He also defeated the invading Egyptian army led by Ismail Basha to conquer Ethiopian lands. Sultan Alimirah himself, as a young man in Awsa, joined the group of young Ethiopians who resisted the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. After the defeat of Italy by the Ethiopians, Sultan Alimirah, together with his brother-in-law Yayo Hamadu, were amongst the Afar people who welcomed the victorious return of the Emperor Haile Sellossie in Addis Ababa.

About the Author

Kadafo Mohammed Hanfare was born and raised in Aysaita, The Capital of The Afar Region, in Ethiopia and resided for much of his youth in the palace residence of Sultan Alimirah Hanfare at Hadale Gera. This unique situation has allowed him an unprecedented insight into the life of the Late Sultan to whom this book is dedicated to. Until 2010, Kadafo Mohammed Hanfare was Ambassador of The Government of Ethiopia to many Middle Eastern and African countries. He has a BA in International Development, and MA in International Affairs from The American University of Washington, D.C. Currently, Kadafo Mohammed Hanfare resides in Toronto, Canada.