Alimirah Hanfere
Encyclopedia
Sultan Alimirah Hanfere, sometimes written as Hanfare, (c.1921 - April 24, 2011) was an Afar
ruler. He was the most recent Sultan
of the Aussa Sultanate, an Afar state which existed in present-day eastern Ethiopia
.
that governed the Aussa Sultanate from 1734 onwards, following the ascension to the throne of Kedafu.
Hanfere was a political exile during Ethiopia's Derg
military junta
, but returned from Saudi Arabia
in 1991 following the regime's collapse. The Ethiopian Review
described him as a "leader of the Afar
ethnic community in eastern Ethiopia" and "a staunch advocate of Ethiopia’s unity."
Sultan Alimirah died on April 24, 2011, at approximately the age of 95. He was buried in the northeastern town of Asaita
, the former capital of the Afar Region
.
Afar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
ruler. He was the most recent Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of the Aussa Sultanate, an Afar state which existed in present-day eastern 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...
.
Biography
Hanfere was a member of the royal Mudaito DynastyMudaito dynasty
-History:The Aussa Sultanate or Afar Sultanate succeeded the earlier Imamate of Aussa. The latter polity had come into existence in 1577, when Muhammed Jasa moved his capital from Harar to Aussa with the split of the Adal Sultanate into Aussa and the Harari city-state...
that governed the Aussa Sultanate from 1734 onwards, following the ascension to the throne of Kedafu.
Hanfere was a political exile during Ethiopia's Derg
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
, but returned from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in 1991 following the regime's collapse. The Ethiopian Review
Ethiopian Review
Ethiopian Review is an Ethiopian news and opinion journal. It was first launched in August 1944 and discontinued in November 1945.The first editor of the Ethiopian Review was William M. Steen. In 1945, David A. Talbot took over as editor....
described him as a "leader of the Afar
Afar
Afar may refer to:*Afar people, ethnic group principally residing in Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia*Afar Insurgency, alternative name for the Djiboutian Civil War of November 1991-December 1994*Afar Triangle, a geological depression near the Horn of Africa...
ethnic community in eastern Ethiopia" and "a staunch advocate of Ethiopia’s unity."
Sultan Alimirah died on April 24, 2011, at approximately the age of 95. He was buried in the northeastern town of Asaita
Asaita
Asaita is a town in northeastern Ethiopia, and before 2007 was the capital of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Afambo woreda, part of the Region's Administrative Zone 1, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 300 meters....
, the former capital of the Afar Region
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
.