Abdulrahim Abby Farah

Abdulrahim Abby Farah (Somali: Cabdiraxiim Caabbi Faarax, Arabic: عبد الرحيم آبي فرح; 22 October 1919 – 14 May 2018) was a Welsh-born Somali diplomat and politician. He was Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations 1979-1990. He served as the Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, and as the Ambassador of Somalia to Ethiopia.^[1] He was the Chairperson of the PaSAGO non-governmental organization. He hailed from the Rer Wa’ays subdivision of the Isamusa subclan of the Isaaq.

Abdulrahim Abby Farah عبدالرحيم عابي فارح
Undersecretary General of the United Nations
In office 1979–1990
Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations
In office 1965–1972
Prime Minister	Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Ambassador of Somalia to Ethiopia
In office 1961–1965
Prime Minister	Abdirizak Haji Hussein
Personal details
Born	22 October 1919 Barry, Wales
Died	14 May 2018 (aged 98) New York, U.S.
Political party	Somali Youth League
Alma mater	University College, Exeter Oxford University

Personal life

Farah was born on 22 October 1919, in Barry, Wales, and came from the Isamusa subclan of the Isaaq.^[2][3] His father Abby Farah, was a Somali entrepreneur and sailor, who was awarded an MBE for his community service to sailors in war time.^[4] His mother, Hilda Anderson, ran a boarding house. Racial tensions in South East Wales were high at the time, following on from the Cardiff Race Riots in June 1919.^[5][6]

Farah grew up in Barry, attending Gladstone Road School, and Barry Grammar School.

He earned degrees from the University College, Exeter and Balliol College, Oxford University in England.^[3] His two brothers also studied at Oxford.^[7]

Farah was married four times, and divorced twice. He met his third wife Sheila Farrell, a history teacher and speechwriter (d. 1997) at Oxford. He married his fourth wife, Hodan Goth in 2001 and had seven children in total.^[8][6][9]

Career

Farah began his diplomatic career with the British Somaliland administration (today Somaliland), sent there age 17 by his father.^[9] After independence, he served with the early civilian government of the Somali Republic in various capacities from 1951 to 1961, including as Director of the Somali Information Service.^[3]

Between 1961 and 1965, Farah was Somalia's Ambassador to Ethiopia. He acted as Somalia's representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in 1962. Ambassador Farah also represented the nation at Council of Ministers meetings of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1964 and 1965.^[3]

From 1965 to 1972, Farah was the Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations in New York City.^[3] He concurrently served as the Acting Director General of Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1966.^[10]

From 1969 to 1972, Farah was the Chairperson of the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid, presiding over a special session of the United Nations Security Council with Umar Ateh Galib in 1972.^[11] He acted as the Assistant Secretary-General for Special Political Questions between 1973 and 1978.^[3] Additionally, Farah served as Somalia's representative within the League of Arab States.^[12][13]

From 1973 to 1978, he was the Undersecretary-General for Special Political Questions, later becoming the Undersecretary General from 1979 to 1990.^[3][14] In 1990, Farah headed the UN Mission on ‘Progress made on the Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences on South Africa’.^[6][7]

In 1998, Farah helped found the Partnership to Strengthen African Grassroots Organizations (PaSAGO). He later served as the non-governmental organization's Chairperson.^[3] Farah died in May 2018 at the age of 98.^[15][9][16] He maintained his Welsh accent throughout his life.^[9]

See also

• Omar Arte Ghalib
• Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal
• Aden Adde
• Nelson Mandela
• Abdirashid Shermarke
• Issa Musse
• Habr Awal

References

1. "FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1964–1968 VOLUME XXIV, AFRICA, DOCUMENT 348". Retrieved 19 May 2015.
2. Who's who in the United Nations and Related Agencies. Arno Press. 1975. ISBN 9780405004902. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
3. "Tenth Annual AMUN Conference, December 5-6, 1975". University of Central Arkansas. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
4. "Farrah - Heritage of Somalis and Yemeni Community in Wales". heritageofsomalis.org.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
5. Mohammed, Aamir (16 June 2019). "The notorious race riots in Cardiff that shamed Wales". walesonline. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
6. "Abdulrahim Abby Farah: The most important Welshman you've never heard of". Nation.Cymru. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
7. Wightwick, Abbie (17 May 2018). "The Barry boy who helped free Nelson Mandela". walesonline. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
8. "Yonkers U.N. Families On The Go Yonkers U.N. Families On The Go" (PDF). Herald Statesman. 11 December 1970. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
9. Hayes, Simon (14 June 2018). "Abdulrahim Abby Farah obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
10. "FRUS 1964-1968, Volume XXIV: 320". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
11. Thomas, Scott M. (1996). The Diplomacy of Liberation: The Foreign Relations of the African National Congress Since 1960. I. B. Tauris. p. 115. ISBN 9781850439936.
12. Pirouz Mojtahed-Zadeh (2013). Security and Territoriality in the Persian Gulf: A Maritime Political Geography. Routledge. p. 215. ISBN 978-1136817243. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
13. "Abdulrahim Abby Farah: The most important Welshman you've never heard of". Nation Cymru. 9 June 2020.
14. "Tributes for Wales-born Somali diplomat". BBC News. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
15. "Diplomat Abdulrahim Abby Farah passes away at 98". Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
16. "Diplomat Abdulrahim Abby Farah passes away at 98". www.hiiraan.com. Retrieved 19 October 2021.

External links

• African Activist Archive - Ambassador Abdulrahim Abby Farah