Draft:Abdul Fattah Ismail al-Jawfi
| Abdul Fattah Ismail al-Jawfi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Abdul Fattah Ismail Ali al-Jawfi |
| Other Names | {{{other_names}}} |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | Yemen |
| Brith Date | {{{birth_date}}} |
| Death Place | {{{death_place}}} |
| Death Date | {{{death_date}}} |
| Religion | Islam |
Abdul Fattah Ismail Ali al-Jawfi (born 17 July 1939 – died 13 January 1986) was the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council, Head of State of Yemen, and the founder, theorist, and first leader of the Yemeni Socialist Party from 21 December 1978 to 1980. On 13 January 1986, he was executed without trial along with three others on the pretext of a plot to overthrow the regime of Ali Nasir Muhammad[1].
Biography
Abdul Fattah Ismail was born in July 1939 in the village of al-Ash'ab in the Taiz Governorate in northern Yemen. He studied in Aden, where he later worked as a teacher in an oil refinery from 1957 to 1961.
Activities
Abdul Fattah helped establish the Arab nationalist movement in South Yemen and formed several of its nuclei until he was arrested by United Kingdom authorities in Aden on charges of inciting workers politically. In 1961, he became a school teacher in one of the neighborhoods of Aden and continued his political activities at that time. He was one of the founders of the National Liberation Front. On 14 October 1963, after the liberation of South Yemen by the National Salvation Front, he became fully engaged in revolutionary work and became the commander of the military wing of the National Liberation Front known as the Feda'iyun. He was then elected as a member of the Executive Committee in the first, second, and third sessions (1965–1967).
Positions
South Yemen achieved independence in 1967, and Abdul Fattah Ismail was elected as the Minister of Culture and Unity of Yemen.
Exile
In the fourth session of the National Liberation Front, he played a significant role in determining the step-by-step line of the revolution. In March 1968, he was arrested and exiled by the right wing of the National Liberation Front. During exile, he drafted the leftist statement of the National Liberation Front program; he took on the leadership and promotion of the left wing of the National Liberation Front and regained power as a corrective step on 22 June 1969.
National Liberation Front
After this corrective step, Abdul Fattah Ismail was elected as Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front and a member of the Presidency of the Supreme People's Council. In 1970, he was elected as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Council. He played a significant role in establishing dialogue between the National Liberation Front and other leftist parties in South Yemen. This move led to the formation of the Yemeni Socialist Party; and in October 1978, at the first meeting of the Yemeni Socialist Party, he was elected as the first Secretary-General of the Party.
Works
- A Star Leads the Sea;
- Divan of Poetry;
- Stage of Democratic Revolution;
- National Culture[2].
Crisis
In 1980, he resigned from all his positions for medical reasons; and Ali Nasir Muhammad replaced him. However, before going to Moscow for medical treatment, he was appointed to the party leadership. In 1985, he returned to Yemen to deal with the increasing crisis between Ali Nasir Muhammad and the rival of the Socialist Party. In October 1985, he was elected as Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Political Bureau of the Yemeni Socialist Party. But the crisis erupted on 13 January 1986, and the conflict between supporters of Ali Nasir Muhammad and his opponents turned into a violent bloody conflict in Aden. The conflict lasted more than a month and resulted in thousands of casualties.
Death
Five years after Abdul Fattah Ismail's return to the city of Aden, a severe conflict was underway between Ali Nasir Muhammad on one hand, who was accused of monopolizing power, and Ali Antar who declared his Alliance with Abdul Fattah Ismail against Ali Nasir Muhammad, especially since his excuse from the Ministry of Defense post had been requested. Abdul Fattah was appointed as Secretary of the General Office of the Yemeni Socialist Party after his return, but the conflict between the two sides intensified and reached its peak on 13 January 1986. During the meeting of the Political Bureau in the city of Aden, Ali Nasir Muhammad's oldest guard opened fire on members of the Political Bureau. Abdul Fattah Ismail survived this incident. His house was later bombarded by heavy artillery, but his fate remained unknown. An investigation was conducted regarding his fate, and the report indicated that he was ambushed in an armored vehicle near the Naval Command and burned after his vehicle was set on fire, but this report had no evidence[3].