Abdulrahim Abby Farah facts for kids

Abdulrahim Abby Farah (Somali: Cabdiraxiim Caabbi Faarax, Arabic: عبد الرحيم آبي فرح; October 22, 1919 – May 14, 2018) was an important diplomat and politician. He was born in Wales but was from Somalia. He worked for the United Nations as a top leader, called the Deputy Secretary General, from 1979 to 1990. He also represented Somalia as its Ambassador to Ethiopia and to the United Nations. He helped start an organization called PaSAGO.

Personal Life

Abdulrahim Abby Farah was born on October 22, 1919. His birthplace was Barry, a town in Wales. His family was part of the Issa Musse subclan of the Habr Awal Isaaq group.

His father, Abby Farah, was a Somali businessman and sailor. He received an award called an MBE. This was for helping sailors during wartime. Abdulrahim's mother, Hilda Anderson, ran a boarding house.

Farah grew up in Barry. He went to Gladstone Road School and Barry Grammar School. He later studied at two famous universities in England. These were the University College, Exeter and Oxford University. His two brothers also studied at Oxford.

Abdulrahim Abby Farah had seven children. He passed away in May 2018 when he was 98 years old. He kept his Welsh accent throughout his life.

Career

Farah started his career in diplomacy when he was 17. He worked for the government in the Trust Territory of Somaliland. After Somalia became independent, he worked for the new government. He held many different jobs from 1951 to 1961. One of his roles was leading the Somali Information Service.

Ambassador to Ethiopia

From 1961 to 1965, Farah was Somalia's Ambassador to Ethiopia. An ambassador is someone who officially represents their country in another country. In 1962, he also represented Somalia at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). He attended important meetings for the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1964 and 1965.

Working at the United Nations

From 1965 to 1972, Farah was Somalia's main representative at the United Nations in New York City. At the same time, in 1966, he was also the Acting Director General for Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From 1969 to 1972, Farah led the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid. Apartheid was a very unfair system in South Africa. It separated people based on their race. He led a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council in 1972.

Later, from 1973 to 1978, he was an Assistant Secretary-General for Special Political Questions. He also represented Somalia within the Arab League. From 1979 to 1990, he became the Undersecretary General of the United Nations. This was a very high-ranking position. In 1990, he led a UN group looking at the progress made against apartheid in South Africa.

PaSAGO Organization

In 1998, Farah helped create an organization called the Partnership to Strengthen African Grassroots Organizations (PaSAGO). This group helps local communities in Africa. He later became the chairperson of this important non-governmental organization.

See also

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