Allegiance Yemen Years of service 2000 - 2012 Parents Ali Abdullah Saleh | Rank Brig. Gen. Service/branch Military of Yemen Name Ahmed Saleh | |
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Uncles Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar Similar People Ali Abdullah Saleh, Abd Rabbuh Mansur H, Ali Mohsen al‑Ahmar, Abdul‑Malik Badreddin al‑Houthi, Sadiq al‑Ahmar | ||
Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh Al-Sanhani Al-Humairi (Arabic: أحمد علي عبد الله صالح السنحاني الحميري; born July 25, 1972) is the eldest son of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and was a commander of approx. 80,000 troops of the Republican Guard unit of the Yemen Army. On April 14, 2015, the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control added Saleh to the list of Specially Designated Nationals, barring US citizens and businesses from interacting with Saleh or his assets.
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Military career
On December 15, 2012, amid tensions between Republican Guard units and President Hadi, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Saleh refused to relinquish control of long-range missiles to the Defence Ministry, stoking fears of further clashing. On December 19, President Hadi responded by issuing decrees announcing a restructuring of the military into four main branches including the land forces, the navy, the air force, and the border forces, effectively dissolving the Republican Guard and rendering Ahmed Saleh's position unnecessary. This was widely seen as an effort on President Hadi's part to weaken the influence of Yemen's political and military elite.
Though no longer in command of the Republican Guard, Ahmed Saleh apparently remains a part of the military, but in what capacity it is unclear. As recently as February 3, 2013, National Yemen newspaper reported him as having met with both President Hadi and the remaining leadership of the Republican Guard.
Post-military career
Saleh was sworn in as Yemen's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi on 19 May 2013. The ceremony was also attended by UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, and the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr Ali Mansour bin Svaa. Nahyan emphasized the importance of Saleh's appointment as part of efforts to maintain close relations between the two countries.
The UAE terminated Saleh's ambassadorship on 7 April 2015, and revoked his diplomatic immunity. President Hadi had announced Ahmed’s dismissal on 29 March 2015, following the outbreak of the Yemeni Civil War. Saleh and his father are allied with the Houthis, which are fighting against forces loyal to Hadi.