Abdullahi Ali Sadiq also known as Abdullahi Sadiq al-Harari was an influential Harari-Ethiopian businessman and governor for

Ogaden Ogaden (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn''; , ) is one of the historical names used for the modern Somali Region. It is also natively referred to as Soomaali Galbeed (). The region forms the eastern portion of Ethiopia and borders Somalia ...

whose peaceful jurisdiction spread beyond today's Ethiopia.

Early days

Abdullahi in the early 20th century had business ties with the

Zeila Zeila (, ), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila with the Biblical location of Havilah. Most modern schola ...

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

, and various other trading routes south of the red sea, where he built his wealth. He was an orphan whose Treasury inheritance Rites have been restored from the Barkhlay guardian and gained the confidence by the Abyssinian Emperor

Menelik II Menelik II ( ; horse name Aba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913), baptised as Sahle Maryam (ሣህለ ማርያም ''sahlä maryam'') was king of Shewa from 1866 to 1889 and Emperor of Et ...

and was sent as an envoy to leader of the

Dervish state The Dervish Movement () was an armed resistance movement between 1899 and 1920, which was led by the Salihiyya Sufi Muslim poet and militant leader Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, also known as Sayyid Mohamed, who called for independence from the Bri ...

Mohammed Abdullah Hassan Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, ...

. He is the Prince of Overseers and or Commerce, aka Sovereign Treasurer - from Harar - to Emperor Menelik II. He is sent to the United States of America by Emperor Menelik II as evidenced b
New York Times of November 26, 1905
Abdullahi is also regarded as leader of the Muslims of

Harar Harar (; Harari language, Harari: ሀረር / ; ; ; ), known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey (Harari: ጌይ, ݘٛىيْ, ''Gēy'', ), is a List of cities with defensive walls, walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is al ...

and helped then governor of

Hararghe Hararghe ( ''Harärge''; Harari language, Harari: ሀረርጌ፞ይ, هَرَرْݘٛىيْ,''Harargêy'', Oromo language, Oromo: Harargee, ) was a provinces of Ethiopia, province of eastern Ethiopia with its capital in Harar. Etymology Harargh ...

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...

foster good relations between Muslims and Christians within the province.

Political career

He became land administrator in

under governor Ras Makonnen in 1889 but was suspended a year later. He then became Prince of Overseers and or Commerce which also brought him to the United States of America in 1905. In 1905 he was leader of the envoy representing emperor Menelik to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In 1906 while visiting

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

, he was subsequently arrested by British officers and detained in Zeila. Britain accused Abdullah of supplying weapons to the Dervish State. Abdullahi was assigned governorship of Ogaden by Lij Iyasu in 1914.

and Abdullah Tahir the governor of Jigjiga detested his appointment. Iyasu used Abdullahi to interact with Dervish leader Mohammed Hassan, which would lead to an alliance between the Dervish and

Ethiopian Empire The Ethiopian Empire, historically known as Abyssinia or simply Ethiopia, was a sovereign state that encompassed the present-day territories of Ethiopia and Eritrea. It existed from the establishment of the Solomonic dynasty by Yekuno Amlak a ...

. Dervish State at the time had revolted on the British and this concerned UK about the role Abdullahi was playing.

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

officer Charles Doughty-Wylie claimed Iyasu's appointment of Abdullahi was signs the Ethiopian government was shifting towards an anti British policy. Abdullahi was also accused of being an international pan Islamic conspirator against the British empire, evidenced by his attempts to reach out to the Emir of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. According to professor Haggai Erlich Abdullahi was one of the key figures fostering ties with the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

to bring Ethiopia into

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on the side of the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...

Death

After the overthrow of Lij Iyasu, he was arrested in Harar along with several

Ughaz Ughaz (sometimes spelled ''Ugass'', ''Ugas'' or ''Ougaz'') is a traditional Somalis, Somali title. It is primarily used by the Dir (clan), Dir and Darod clans. Etymology According to Italians, Italian linguist Giorgio Banti, the term ''"Ughaz" ...

of the Somali. Abdullahi was later released from prison, however prior to his release he was allegedly poisoned under the orders of Haile Selassie and died in 1920.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadiq, Abdullah People from Harari Region Ethiopian government officials 20th-century Ethiopian people 1920 deaths Diplomats for Ethiopia