Ali Abdulrahman Keda (Arabic: علي عبد الرحمن كده; born 1973) is a Syrian politician and engineer who served as the fourth Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government from 2019 to 2024.
Ali Keda | |
|---|---|
علي كده | |
| Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government | |
| In office 18 November 2019 – 13 January 2024 | |
| President | Mustafa al-Mousa |
| Preceded by | Fawwaz Hilal |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed al-Bashir |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1973 (age 50–51) Harbanoush, Idlib Governorate, Syria |
| Alma mater | University of Aleppo |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  SyriaArmy of Conquest Sham Legion |
| Years of service | ?–March 2011; September 2011–2012 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Early life
editKeda was born in Harbanoush, a village in Idlib Governorate, in 1973. He obtained degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Aleppo and military engineering from a state military academy.[1] He then enlisted in the Syrian military, serving as a technician at al-Nayrab military airbase in Aleppo Governorate and being promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In March 2011, at the onset of the Syrian civil war, Keda defected from the military before rejoining six months later. He was arrested and again defected in 2012 after his release.[2]
Keda allegedly served as the deputy head of the Army of Conquest's security department. After its dissolution, he served as a security official with the Sham Legion before resigning. He then worked for the Free Police, but was dismissed after joining the Salvation Government.[2]
Political career
editKeda initially worked with local councils.[2] Under the administration of Fawwaz Hilal formed in November 2018, Keda served as Deputy Minister of the Interior for Administrative Affairs and Public Relations.[3] Following the resignation of Hilal's cabinet at the completion of its one-year term,[4] Keda was given thirty days to present a new government to the General Shura Council.[3] On 18 November 2019, Keda's government was approved by the General Shura Council and he was elected prime minister, winning 65% of the vote.[4] Shortly after his appointment, he pledged to tackle a surge in the number of internally displaced persons in Idlib.[5]
On 23 March 2020, Keda tasked Abdullah al-Shawi with chairing an emergency committee intended to coordinate the administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Syria. He was criticised for attending meetings without a face mask.[6]
In an interview with Le Temps, Keda appealed to the international community to deliver humanitarian assistance to Idlib in coordination with the Salvation Government. He also called on the European Union to "recognize the reality of the situation in Syria", stating that Bashar al-Assad's government was "terrorist".[7]
On 1 December 2020, Keda was re-elected as prime minister by the General Shura Council, winning 81% of the vote. The vote was criticized by opposition activists who compared his appointment with that of Syrian prime minister Hussein Arnous.[8]
References
edit- ^ ""علي كده" ضابط منشق ومسؤول أمني.. رئيسا جديدا لحكومة الإنقاذ". SMART News Agency. Archived from the original on 2020-07-19. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
- ^ a b c "Ali Keda, a dissident officer and security official, is now new head of Salvation Government". SMART News Agency. Archived from the original on 2020-07-19. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
- ^ a b "من هو علي كده رئيس "حكومة الإنقاذ" الجديد". عنب بلدي (in Arabic). 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
- ^ a b "BBC Monitoring – Analysis: Who's behind the 'Salvation Government' running northern Syria?". monitoring.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
- ^ al-Khateb, Khaled (2019-12-29). "Reshuffle of HTS-linked government fails to bring hope in Idlib". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
- ^ "The Jihadi-Backed Salvation Government and Covid-19 in Northwest Syria". www.washingtoninstitute.org. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
- ^ "Idlib, capitale syrienne du désespoir". Le Temps (in French). 2020-09-03. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
- ^ "ديموقراطية تحرير الشام.. إعادة انتخاب "علي كدة" رئيساً للحكومة ومنافسيه مجهولين". وكالة ستيب الإخبارية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-12-09.