Ahmad al-Ghashmi
President of North Yemen from 1977 to 1978
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ahmad bin Hussein al-Ghashmi (Arabic: أحمد حسين الغشمي, romanized: Aḥmad Ḥusayn al-Ghašmī; 21 August 1935 – 24 June 1978[1]) 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]
.jpg)
Ahmad bin Hussein al-Ghashmi | |
|---|---|
أحمد حسين الغشمي | |
Ghashmi in 1976 | |
| 4th President of North Yemen | |
| In office 11 October 1977 – 24 June 1978 | |
| Prime Minister | Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani |
| Preceded by | Ibrahim al-Hamdi |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi |
| Chairman of the Military Command Council | |
| In office 11 October 1977 – 22 April 1978 | |
| Preceded by | Ibrahim al-Hamdi |
| Deputy Chairman of the Military Command Council | |
| In office 13 June 1974 – 11 October 1977 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 August 1935 |
| Died | 24 June 1978 (aged 42) |
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Party | None (Military) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Yemen (1956–1962) North Yemen (1962–1978) |
Years of service | 1956–1978 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Battles/wars | |
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 and became a Deputy Chairman.[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]
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]
Assassination
President al-Ghashmi's 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]