Omer Gamar-Eldin Ismail ( ar, عمر قمر الدين إسماعيل) is the Prime Minister's Advisor for Global Partnerships and former
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
. He took on this position in the Cabinet reshuffle of July 2020.
Personal life
Omer was born in the
Darfur
Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju ...
region of Sudan. After graduating from
Khartoum University
The University of Khartoum (U of K) ( ar, جامعة الخرطوم) is a public university located in Khartoum, Sudan. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan. UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 195 ...
, he worked as research assistant to Dr.
Mansour Khalid
Mansour Khalid (17 January 1931 – 22 April 2020) was a Sudanese lawyer, diplomat, and scholar, who published several books. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan from 1971 to 1975 and briefly in 1977. He also served as first vice ...
, former Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs. After fleeing Sudan, he worked for the United Nations in Somalia between 1992 and 1994. Returning to
Washington, D.C., he helped found the
Sudan Democratic Forum, a think tank of Sudanese intellectuals working for the advancement of democracy in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, as well as co-founding the
Darfur Peace and Development Organization to raise awareness about the crisis in his troubled region.
Before joining the transitional Sudanese government, Ismail was a humanitarian worker and activist working to publicize
conditions in Darfur. He was forced to flee
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
in 1989 after the
National Islamic Front
The National Islamic Front ( ar, الجبهة الإسلامية القومية; transliterated: ''al-Jabhah al-Islamiyah al-Qawmiyah'') was an Islamist political organization founded in 1976 and led by Dr. Hassan al-Turabi that influenced th ...
took power in 1989. He subsequently worked for the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
, and was a Policy Fellow at the
Kennedy School of Government
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
in the
Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy
Carr Center for Human Rights Policy is a research center at Harvard Kennedy School founded in 1999. The center's scholars address issues related to human rights, including human security, global governance and civil society, economic justice, and e ...
,
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
in 2006/2007.
["Past Carr Center Fellows"](_blank)
/ref>
Career
During his time as Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ismail met with Swiss officials in Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
and convinced them to donate CHF 1 million (USD $1.09 million) through the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
' Sudan Humanitarian Fund after the country was hit with violent floods and a three-month state of emergency was declared.
References
External links
Eyewitness Testimony - Omer Ismail
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
"A political settlement for Darfur: A practical roadmap"
by Omer Ismail, Colin Thomas-Jensen, Maggie Fick and John Prendergast. The Enough Project website
Sudanese humanitarians
Harvard Fellows
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Sudanese democracy activists
University of Khartoum alumni
Foreign ministers of Sudan
{{Sudan-bio-stub