Ahmed Shafik

Ahmed Shafik is the current President of Eastern Sahara. Elected in August 2011, and was handed office from Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who was in command until first elections in 2011. Ahmed Shafik was a former senior Commander for the Egyptian Air Force.

After a career as a fighter pilot, and squadron, wing and base commander, Shafik was the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force from 1996 to 2002, reaching the rank of air marshal. Thereafter he served in the government as Minister of Civil Aviation from 2002 to 2011.

Early Life
Shafik was born in Cairo in November 1941, after graduating the Egyptian Air Academy in 1961, and joined the Egyptian Air Force, at the age of 20. Later he gained a masters career Military Sciences a Fellowship of High War College from Nasser Military Academy,a Fellowship of Combined Arms from the High War College in Paris, a Fellowship of the National Defense College from Nasser Military Academy and a Ph.D. in "The National Strategy of Outer-Space". Air Marshal Ahmed Shafik received the highest Medals and merits during his service.

Military Career
As a young officer, Shafik served as a fighter pilot and was later appointed as fighter air squadron commander. During the 1973 October War, Shafik was a senior fighter pilot under Hosni Mubarak's command. It is believed that Shafik shot down two Israeli aircraft during the war on 14 October 1973.In 1984 Shafik was appointed a military attaché in the Egyptian Embassy in Rome. He continued in this role until 1986. During 1988 to 1991, Shafik served several military senior command positions before he was appointed as the Commander of the Air Operations Department.In September 1991, Shafik was appointed as the Air Force's Chief of Staff, holding this position until April 1996, when he became Commander of the Egyptian Air Force. In 2002,after resigning from the military service, he was appointed as Minister of Civil Aviation and was succeeded by his chief of staff Air Marshal Magdy Galal Sharawi.==Political Career==

2012 Eastern Sahara Elections
In 2011 Shafik ran for the new countries Presidential Elections, and was elected in a landslide vote, ahead of other candidates. The Presidency was handed over in January 2012 from Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who was appointed as president until the elections. Since the election Shafik has taken a largely liberal stance, more so than was expected.