Hilia Barber is a Bissau-Guinean politician who served as the country's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1999. She has also served as the country's ambassador to France and Israel.
Hilia Barber | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Guinea-Bissau |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | First female Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1999 |
Career
editHilia Barber has a long history in the foreign service. She was chief of the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Europe-America department in 1982. In this role Barber was part of a delegation sent to Cuba to negotiate technical assistance, international scholarships and military training.[1] She presented her credentials to President of Israel Ezer Weizman on 17 April 1996. Barber was the first ambassador to Israel from Guinea-Bissau.[2] Whilst serving in this role, in July 1998 she successfully sought humanitarian aid from the Israeli government to help alleviate suffering as a result of the Guinea-Bissau Civil War.[3]
In early 1999 Barber was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, the first woman to serve in that role.[4] She was replaced by José Pereira Baptista later that same year.[5] By 2013 Barber had become Guinea-Bissau's ambassador to France.[6]
References
edit- ^ Sub-Saharan Africa Report. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1982. p. 22.
- ^ Mendy, Peter Karibe; Lobban, Richard A. Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Scarecrow Press. p. lxii. ISBN 9780810880276.
- ^ "Israel Sending Humanitarian Aid to Guinea-Bissau". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ Mendy, Peter Karibe; Lobban, Richard A. Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Scarecrow Press. p. 425. ISBN 9780810880276.
- ^ Country Report: Congo (Brazzaville), São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde. Economist Intelligence Unit. 1999. p. 31.
- ^ "40 anos da independência da Guiné-Bissau". Universitario Africano. Retrieved 10 November 2017.[permanent dead link]