Osman Saleh Sabbe (1932–1987) was an Eritrean revolutionary and prominent nationalist figure in the

Eritrean War of Independence The Eritrean War of Independence was an War, armed conflict and insurgency aimed at achieving self-determination and independence for Eritrea from Ethiopian rule. Starting in 1961, Eritrean insurgents engaged in guerrilla warfare to liberate ...

Early life

Born in 1932 in a village of

Hirgigo Arkiko (, Afar and Saho: ''Hirg-Higo'', alternately Archigo, Arqiqo, Ercoco, Hirgigo, Hargigo or Harkiko) historically known as Dokono is a town in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea. Situated on the Red Sea, it lies on the mainland across f ...

in the suburb of

Massawa Massawa or Mitsiwa ( ) is a port city in the Northern Red Sea Region, Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, located on the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zula beside the Dahlak Archipelago. It has been a historically important port for ...

, he was fifth of eight siblings. After attending local Islamic school, he joined Hirgigo primary school which was founded by Pasha Saleh Ahmed Kekia in 1944. After finishing elementary and middle school he traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to complete his secondary school and attend teacher training college. After graduating from teacher training college, he returned to Hirgigo and worked as a teacher and later a principal of the school. In 1956 he took the General Certificate of Education Exam of the University of London and pursued his education with distance learning and he obtained a bachelor's degree in history and political science. Osman understood the importance of education and the lack of proper education institutes in Eritrea and especially in the lowlands of Eritrea, therefore he used to encourage and send his students to Sudan and Egypt in pursuit of further education. Sabbe had six children (2 sons and 4 daughters) and his brother Mahmoud Saleh Sabbe was one of the ELF prisoners who was freed by ELF operation from Adi Quala prison in February 1975.

Exile

In the late 1940s and early 1950s during his time in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

, Eritrean politics was in a crossroad, where Eritrean nationalist movement was springing. Like many Eritrean patriot Osman had a strong stand on the need for

Eritrean independence An independence referendum was held in Eritrea, at the time part of Ethiopia, between 23 and 25 April 1993. The result was 99.83% in favour, with a turnout in excess of 93%. Independence from Ethiopia was declared on 27 April. Conduct The UN O ...

and his activities were put under surveillance by the Ethiopian authorities and forced to exile to Aden, Yemen in 1960. Revolutionary leaders such as

Romodan Mohammed Nur Romodan Mohammed Nur (8 August 1938 – 30 December 2021) was an Eritrean politician who was the first chairman of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front and a key figure during the Eritrean War of Independence. Early and personal life Romodan w ...

, Alamin Mohammed Said and Ibrahim Affa that made great contribution towards the struggle of Eritrean Independence were some of his students from Hirghigo School.
Historical Dictionary of Eritrea, By Dan Connell, Tom Killio Osman Saleh Sabbe died of a sudden illness in 1987 in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt.

Political life

Osman dedicated his life to the struggle of Eritrean independence and became the backbone of Eritrean revolution during the dark and desperate years. After exile, Osman focused his activity in bringing follow Eritreans in exile into strengthening the fight for independence agenda. During this time Osman had participated in the

Eritrean Liberation Front The Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF; ; ; ), colloquially known as Jebha, was the main Eritrean War of Independence, independence movement in Eritrea Province, Eritrea which sought Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia during the 1960s and the ear ...

(ELF) leadership and was appointed as head of foreign affair. He succeeded in raising awareness of the Eritrean struggle for independence across the Middle-Eastern and African countries such as Yemen, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria.

Achievements

Some of Osman's achievements were
1. Creating awareness and sympathy to Eritreans and Eritrean cause across the world
Fifteen Years on grievous Absence of Martyr: Osman Saleh Sabbe
2. Proving full military logistic supply to Eritrean Liberation Army from friendly countries across the world
3. Enabling Somalian government to issue Somali diplomatic passport to Eritrean revolutionary leaders
4. Enabling Eritrean refugees in the Mideast and North Africa to get residence permit
5. Enabling Eritrean refugees access to free school education in Mideast and North Africa
6. Enabling Eritrean or convert refugees access to free higher education scholarship Mideast and North Africa
7. Authoring Eritrean History and related books and publications

Books

a. The roots of the Eritrean disagreements and how to solve them by Osman Saleh Sabbe. Published 1978
b
The history of Eritrea
by Othman Saleh Sabby; translated by Muhamad Fawaz al-Azem. Published 1970 by Dar al-Masirah in Beirut, Lebanon
c. Speech of the Foreign Mission Delivered by Osman Saleh Sabbe, the Official Spokesman
d. Objective Account on the Ethiopian Attitude Towards Eritrea: In the Light of Historical, Geographical and Political Realities

References

External links

* * *
Articles on life & work of martyred Osman Saleh Sabbe

The Intellectual Leader Osman Saleh Sabbe, Awate.com
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sabbe, Osman Saleh 1932 births 1987 deaths Eritrean nationalists Eritrean non-fiction writers Eritrean expatriates in Egypt People from Northern Red Sea region Eritrean male writers 20th-century non-fiction writers Male non-fiction writers