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Kuwait ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah passes away, PM Modi expresses grief

Kuwait ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah passes away, PM Modi expresses grief

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Kuwait ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, a veteran diplomat who positioned the small Arab Gulf state as a regional peacemaker and forged a U.S. alliance that deepened after the country was invaded by Iraq in 1990, has died. He was 91 years old. 

Sheikh Sabah, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2019, had traveled to the U.S. for medical care following complications from bladder surgery in July. State news agency KUNA reported his death without giving a cause.

He is succeeded by his half-brother Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, who is 83 and in poor health. Sheikh Nawaf isn’t expected to make dramatic changes to Kuwaiti policies, but the battle to succeed him as crown prince could prove divisive and drawn-out. Among the leading candidates are Sheikh Sabah’s son, former Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah, 72 years old; and his nephew, former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed, who is 79.

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Sabah had ruled the since 2006 and steered its foreign policy for more than 50 years.

“With the utmost sadness and grief for the Kuwaiti people, the Islamic and Arab world and people of friendly nations, the Amiri Diwan [the royal palace] mourns the death of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the emir of Kuwait,” his office said.

Speculation over the succession started swirling soon after state television interrupted broadcasting to play verses from the Qur’an – a sure sign of a death within the ruling family. The announcement soon followed, and the country’s military was deployed to the streets of Kuwait City as a precautionary measure.

Analysts said there were likely to be intense negotiations behind the scenes over who will become the country’s next crown prince.

There had been calls from within Kuwait’s leading families for a generational shift, introducing a younger figure to lead the state.

“Kuwaitis are … wondering who a future Emir Nawaf would choose to be his crown prince. The country’s constitution dictates that each new crown prince must be approved by a majority in the National Assembly, so the candidate needs to have strong relations with assembly members,” said a recent Carnegie Endowment For International Peace report in August.

Sabah had positioned himself and the country as both sure-footed and cautious at a time of upheaval and change around the region.

He was instrumental in a strategic alliance with the US that followed Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The oil-rich state had also supported the 2003 US invasion of its northern neighbour, and maintained close ties with the UK.

Over recent decades he had been regarded as one of the last of the region’s old guard figures and had used his status to try to moderate on disputes such as the standoff between Qatar and the GCC states, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

He had also attempted to mediate on the Yemen war, hosting leaders from both sides of the conflict, and had chaired aid conferences to support victims of the Syrian war.

Sabah was rankled by the more forceful approach of Saudi Arabia’s heir to the throne, Mohammed bin Salman, and related more to the crown prince’s father, King Salman, with whom he shared a closer view on issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Sabah had been opposed to recent peace deals with Israel signed with the UAE and Bahrain, which were made despite a 2002 framework that had been seen as a blueprint for broad Arab recognition, and offered few concessions to the Palestinians.

As late as this summer, he had told other regional leaders that Kuwait would be the last state to follow suit outside an agreed formula for a two-state solution.

His death prompted an outpouring of grief in the Arab world and beyond.

“With the departure of Sheikh Sabah, we lose a wise leader who devoted his life to the service of his country and to Arab and Islamic nations,” the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, wrote on Twitter.

“The emir was a man of profound compassion, humanity and dignity who all his life worked tirelessly for the best interests of his country and the region,” said the former UK prime minister Tony Blair. “He was deeply respected across the Middle East. He showed courage at the time of the invasion of Kuwait and wisdom in rebuilding his nation afterwards.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait. 

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Today, the State of Kuwait and the Arab world has lost a beloved leader, India a close friend, and the world a great statesman. His Highness played a leading role in strengthening our bilateral relations, and always took special care of the Indian community in Kuwait," PM Modi tweeted.

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Edited By: Admin
Published On: Sep 30, 2020