Abdullah Afeef

Who is Abdullah Afeef?

Abdullah Afeef was the President of the United Suvadive Republic from 1959 to 1963. Born in Hithadhoo, Addu Atoll, Afeef was an educated and well-respected individual from a family of notables. Owing to his knowledge of the English language, he served as a translator to the British military at Gan airbase in the same atoll. His local name was Elha Didige Ali Didige Afifu.

Abdullah Afeef was the breakaway nation's first and only president. The Suvadive government was unceremoniously dismantled by the British and the Maldive Islands' government representatives without ceremony in 1963. Following this, Abdullah Afeef was exiled to the Seychelles where he died about 40 years later. Southern islanders still remember him fondly as "our Afeefu".