Former Egyptian military officer Sami Sharaf passed away on Monday, January 23, 2023, at 94. He was a confidante of the late Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser and held various positions during his presidency.
The news of Sami Sharaf’s death has been met with sadness and condolences from family, friends, and colleagues. The cause of his death has yet to be revealed, but sources report that he passed away due to an unknown illness a few months ago.
Sami Sharaf was born in Heliopolis, Cairo on April 20, 1929. His father was a doctor and Sharaf graduated from the Military Academy in 1949, where Gamal Abdel Nasser was one of his teachers. He joined the army and in January 1953, was arrested and jailed during a shelling. After serving his sentence, he was released to work in the Military Intelligence Department and later became Chief of Staff to the President.
In 1956, he was elected Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and served until his resignation on May 13, 1971. After his release from prison, Sharaf became an anti-communist and supported the establishment of a capitalist state. He was also considered a Soviet agent from 1955. In 2006, he published a memoir titled Sanayawat wa ayam ma’ Jamal ‘Abd al Nasir: Shahadat Sami Sharaf.
Sami Sharaf was married and had four children. No funeral or obituary arrangements have been announced yet.
Sami Sharaf was an important figure in Egypt’s history and his death is a great loss. Social media has been flooded with tributes to him from politicians, celebrities and other officials. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew him and the many who were influenced by his work.