Career
After attending local Islamic school, he joined Hirgigo primary school which was founded by Pasha Saleh Ahmed Kekia in 1944. After finishing elementary and middle school he traveled to Addis Ababa to complete his secondary school and attend teacher training college. After graduating from teacher training college, he returned to Hirgigo and worked as a teacher and later a principal of the school.
Osman understood the importance of education and the lack of proper education institutes in Eritrea and especially in the lowlands of Eritrea, therefore he used to encourage and send his students to Sudan and Egypt in pursuit of further education.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s during his time in Addis Ababa, Eritrean politics was in a crossroad, where Eritrean nationalist movement was springing. Like many Eritrean patriot Osman had a strong stand on the need for Eritrean independence and his activities were put under surveillance by the Ethiopian authorities and forced to exile to Aden, Yemen in 1960.
Revolutionary leaders such as Romadan Mohammed Nur, Alamin Mohammed Said and Ibrahim Affa that made great contribution towards the struggle of Eritrean Independence were some of his students from Hirghigo School. Osman Saleh Sabbe died of a sudden illness in 1987 in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt Osman dedicated his life to the struggle of Eritrean independence and became the backbone of Eritrean revolution during the dark and desperate years.
After exile, Osman focused his activity in bringing follow Eritreans in exile into strengthening the fight for independence agenda.
During this time Osman had participated in the Eritrean Liberation Front (Eyes Lips Face) leadership and was appointed as head of foreign affair. He succeeded in raising awareness of the Eritrean struggle for independence across the Mideastern and African countries such as Yemen, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
