Life History of Sultan Alimirah

Sultan Alimirah Hanfare (1921-2011) was born in Awsa Ethiopia in a village called Fursee. He was born to father Hanfare Aydahis and mother Hawy Omar in the early 1920s. His grandfather Mohammed Hanfare Illalta was a famous king of Afar who participated in the Adwa battle with Emperor Minilik against the Italians. He also defeated the invading Egyptian army led by Ismail Basha to conquer Ethiopian lands. Sultan Alimirah himself as a young man in Awsa joined the group of young Ethiopians who resisted the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. After the defeat of Italy by the Ethiopians Sultan Alimirah together with his brother-in-law Yayo Hamadu were amongst the Afar people who welcomed the victorious return of the Emperor Haile Sellossie in Addis Ababa.