Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar | |
---|---|
علي محسن صالح الأحمر | |
3rd Vice President of Yemen | |
Assumed office 4 April 2016 |
|
President | Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi |
Preceded by | Khaled Bahah |
Personal details | |
Born |
Sanhan, Sana'a Governorate, Yemen |
June 20, 1945
Political party | General People's Congress |
Relations | Ali Abdullah Saleh (Distant cousin) |
Religion | Islam |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Yemen |
Service/branch | Yemen Army |
Years of service | 1966–present |
Rank | Lieutenant general |
Commands | North-Western Military District 2011-2012 1st Armoured Division 1987-2011 |
Battles/wars |
Ali Mohsen Saleh al-Ahmar (Arabic: علي محسن صالح الأحمر), sometimes spelled "Muhsin", (born 20 June 1945) is a general of the Yemeni army and was the commander of the northwestern military district and the 1st Armoured Division. He played a leading role in the creation of the General People's Congress. Mohsen has a good relationship with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
He was appointed as a Deputy Supreme Commander of Yemeni Armed Forces on February 22, 2016. "Yemen's Hadi appoints top general in bid to rally tribes". After that president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has appointed him a Vice President of Yemen on April 3, 2016. This assignment made a big controversy between objectors and supporters, but most of them considered it a strong message from President Hadi and the Arab Coalition Forces for the intention to use the Military option to regain control of the Capital because of the flexible and strong relation between Mohsen with figures from the tribes surrounding the Capital Sana'a as well as some military commander who will be loyal to the side of legitimacy because of this assignment.
Born in Sanhan, a southeastern suburb of Sana'a, and he got his primary and secondary education there, he is not a member of the al-Ahmar family of the Hashid tribe. He joined the army to the 4th Military company in 1961. He was promoted as a first lieutenant in the Mechanized forces of the Republican Guard in 1968, and participated in the North Yemen Civil War, fighting on the Republican side. Then he joined Yemen Military Academy in 1971, and got his bachelor's degree in 1974. After his graduation from Yemen Military Academy he got promoted as a captain. He joined Al-Tholaya Institute in Taiz and got a certificate of Battalions Leadership. He got his PhD from Nasser Military Academy-Cairoin 1986. He continued to get promotions until he became a major general in 2007, before the presidential decree issued by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Had to promote him as Lieutenant Colonel and appoint him a Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces on February 22, 2016 .
Mohsen is known to have Salafi leanings and to support a more radical Islamic political agenda than Ali Abdullah Saleh. He has powerful supporters in Saudi Arabia and has aided the Saudis in establishing Wahhabi institutions in the Zaydi heartland, creating internal tension.