Hilia Barber

Hilia Barber
Hilia Barber
Nationality	Guinea-Bissau
Occupation	Politician
Known for	First female Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1999

Hilia Barber is a Bissau-Guinean politician who served as the country's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1999. She has also served as the country's ambassador to France and Israel.

Career[edit]

Hilia Barber has a long history in the foreign service. She was chief of the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Europe-America department in 1982. In this role Barber was part of a delegation sent to Cuba to negotiate technical assistance, international scholarships and military training.^[1] She presented her credentials to President of Israel Ezer Weizman on 17 April 1996. Barber was the first ambassador to Israel from Guinea-Bissau.^[2] Whilst serving in this role, in July 1998 she successfully sought humanitarian aid from the Israeli government to help alleviate suffering as a result of the Guinea-Bissau Civil War.^[3]

In early 1999 Barber was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, the first woman to serve in that role.^[4] She was replaced by José Pereira Baptista later that same year.^[5] By 2013 Barber had become Guinea-Bissau's ambassador to France.^[6]

References[edit]

^ Sub-Saharan Africa Report. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1982. p. 22.
^ Mendy, Peter Karibe; Lobban, Richard A. Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Scarecrow Press. p. lxii. ISBN 9780810880276.
^ "Israel Sending Humanitarian Aid to Guinea-Bissau". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
^ Mendy, Peter Karibe; Lobban, Richard A. Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Scarecrow Press. p. 425. ISBN 9780810880276.
^ Country Report: Congo (Brazzaville), São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde. Economist Intelligence Unit. 1999. p. 31.
^ "40 anos da independência da Guiné-Bissau". Universitario Africano. Retrieved 10 November 2017.^{[permanent dead link]}

[1] Sub-Saharan Africa Report. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1982. p. 22.

[2] Mendy, Peter Karibe; Lobban, Richard A. Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Scarecrow Press. p. lxii. ISBN 9780810880276.

[3] "Israel Sending Humanitarian Aid to Guinea-Bissau". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 10 November 2017.

[4] Mendy, Peter Karibe; Lobban, Richard A. Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Scarecrow Press. p. 425. ISBN 9780810880276.

[5] Country Report: Congo (Brazzaville), São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde. Economist Intelligence Unit. 1999. p. 31.

[6] "40 anos da independência da Guiné-Bissau". Universitario Africano. Retrieved 10 November 2017.^{[permanent dead link]}

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