On behalf of the Crown Council, it is with deep sadness that we learnt of the passing of Sultan Hafareh (Humphrey) Ali Mira. We join his family and all the Afar people, as well as all those who love the Afar people in Ethiopia and worldwide, in mourning his passing. May God rest his soul and comfort his people and family in these difficult times.
The Sultan, who was enthroned in 2011, was a quiet man whose courage, intelligence, and foresight won him many admirers around the world. His courageous fight alongside his father against the Derg in Ethiopia is much admired, and proved to be on the correct side of history. It was against all odds that he chose to fight the Derg, but his principled stand, along with his father, will always be remembered in Ethiopian history.
The Sultan did not rest after this victory. He wanted to serve his people in the post-Derg Ethiopia, and to that end he worked selflessly to bring his people new freedoms and development. The Sultan was a perceptive man who could not stand by and watch as his people as they began to suffer again under a yet another corrupt dictatorship. He was always on the side of his people and the larger Ethiopian family. He was fortunate to witness the beginnings of reform and greater freedoms for the Ethiopian people yet again.
May his memory be an inspiration and continuance guidance for his people and Ethiopia.
God bless his soul.
