Usra Hendra Harahap
{{short description|Indonesian diplomat and former Air Force flag officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| net_worth =
| data1 =
| blank1 =
| awards =
| portfolio =
| committees =
| cabinet =
| salary =
| data2 =
| known_for =
| profession =
| occupation =
| alma_mater =
| education =
| residence =
| blank2 =
| blank3 =
| father =
| allegiance = {{flag|Indonesia}}
| battles =
| commands =
| unit =
| rank = 25px Air Vice Marshal
| serviceyears = 1982–2017
| nickname =
| data3 =
| website =
| signature_alt =
| signature =
| data5 =
| blank5 =
| data4 =
| blank4 =
| relatives =
| mother =
| name =
| smallimage_alt =
| successor =
| predecessor = Harry Purwanto
| term_end =
| term_start = 21 March 2019
| country = Nigeria
| ambassador_from = Indonesia
| smallimage =
| pronunciation =
| image_upright =
| image_size =
| image = Usra Hendra Harahap.jpg
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name_lang =
| native_name =
| president = Joko Widodo
| birth_name =
| parents =
| party = Golkar
| children =
| relations =
| partner =
| spouse =
| height =
| otherparty =
| nationality =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|08|11|df=y}}
| citizenship =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| resting_place =
| death_cause =
| death_place =
| death_date =
| birth_place = Padang, West Sumatra
| mawards =
| module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Ambassador Usra Hendra Harahap oath of office.ogg|title={{center|Usra Hendra Harahap's voice}}|type=speech|description={{center|Recorded March 2019 by the Presidential Secretariat}}}}
}}
Usra Hendra Harahap (born 11 August 1959), also known as Ucok,{{Cite web|last=Ihsanuddin|date=15 September 2018|title=Presiden Jokowi Tunjuk Dua Politisi Golkar Jadi Dubes|url=https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2018/09/15/13473021/presiden-jokowi-tunjuk-dua-politisi-golkar-jadi-dubes|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Kompas|language=id}} is an Indonesian diplomat and former Air Force flag officer who has served as the ambassador of Indonesia to Nigeria since 21 March 2019.
Early life and military career
File:Koorsahli Kasau Usra Hendra Harahap.gif
Usra was born on 11 August 1959 in Padang, West Sumatra. He began his military service after graduating from the Indonesian Air Force Academy in 1982. Usra holds a Master of Science degree and a doctoral degree in political science upon graduation from the University of Merdeka in 2002 and 2005, respectively.{{Cite web|last=Amabo|first=Eulia|title=Cameroon-Indonesia Relations : Newly Designated Ambassador Received|url=https://www.cameroon-tribune.cm/article.html/27867/fr.html/cameroon-indonesia-relations-newly-designated-ambassador|access-date=21 May 2021|website=www.cameroon-tribune.cm|language=en}}
Usra became a flag officer following his promotion to air first marshal on 4 June 2010. At the time of his promotion, he was appointed as the deputy superintendent of School of Defense and Strategic Studies.{{Cite web|title=Sebanyak 13 Perwira Tinggi TNI Naik Pangkat|url=https://www.tribunnews.com/nasional/2010/06/09/sebanyak-13-perwira-tinggi-tni-naik-pangkat|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Tribunnews.com|language=id-ID}} After serving in the position for two years, Usra was promoted from deputy superintendent to superintendent of the school on 1 February 2012.{{Cite web|last=Yudistira|first=Yudha|date=2 February 2012|title=Mayjen S Widjonarko jadi Aster Panglima TNI : Okezone News|url=https://news.okezone.com/read/2012/02/02/448/568388/mayjen-s-widjonarko-jadi-aster-panglima-tni|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Okezone|language=id-ID}} His rank was promoted accordingly a month later.{{Cite web|last=Santosa|first=Iwan|date=9 March 2012|title=Sembilan Perwira Tinggi TNI AU Naik Pangkat|url=https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2012/03/09/18124667/~Nasional|access-date=21 May 2021|website=KOMPAS.com|language=id}}
Several months after his promotion to superintendent, Usra was moved to the Indonesian Defense University, where he became the dean of the university's defence strategy faculty.{{Cite web|last1=Home|last2=Terkini|last3=News|first3=Top|last4=Terpopuler|last5=Nusantara|last6=Nasional|last7=Hukum|last8=Politik|last9=Daerah|title=Mahasiswa Pascasarjana Unhan Analisis Konflik Maluku|url=https://makassar.antaranews.com/berita/46468/mahasiswa-pascasarjana-unhan-analisis-konflik-maluku|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Antara News Makassar}} After holding this academic office for a while, Usra was made as deputy rector of the university a day before the end of 2013.{{Cite web|last=antaranews.com|date=2 January 2014|title=TNI mutasi 36 perwira tinggi|url=https://www.antaranews.com/berita/412176/tni-mutasi-36-perwira-tinggi|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Antara News}} Twenty eight days later he was moved to the air force headquarters to serve as a special staff to the air force chief of staff.{{Cite web|date=31 January 2014|title=36 Perwira Tinggi TNI Dimutasi {{!}} Jakarta Bisnis.com|url=https://jakarta.bisnis.com/read/20140131/77/200319/36-perwira-tinggi-tni-dimutasi-|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Bisnis.com}}{{Cite web|last=koran|first=Ali nur yasin|date=2 April 2014|title=Jelang Pemilu, Pejabat TNI Dirombak|url=https://nasional.tempo.co/read/567222/jelang-pemilu-pejabat-tni-dirombak|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Tempo|language=en}}
A year later, 19 January 2015, Usra was appointed to coordinate all of the air force's central expert staff,{{Cite web|last=|date=21 January 2015|title=Panglima TNI Mutasi 47 Perwira Tinggi : Okezone Nasional|url=https://nasional.okezone.com/read/2015/01/21/337/1095013/panglima-tni-mutasi-47-perwira-tinggi|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Okezone|language=id-ID}} and was installed for the office eight days later.{{Cite web|last=Agency|first=ANTARA News|title=Kasau Lantik Sembilan Pejabat TNI AU|url=https://sumbar.antaranews.com/berita/135804/kasau-lantik-sembilan-pejabat-tni-au|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Antara News Sumbar}} During his tenure as coordinator, Usra publicly criticized the Indonesian Aerospace company, stating that the company failed to put the Indonesian air force as its primary customer and blamed the air force's lack of preparedness to the company.{{Cite web|title=Kritik Pedas TNI AU terhadap Kinerja PTDI|url=https://www.tribunnews.com/nasional/2016/11/02/kritik-pedas-tni-au-terhadap-ptdi|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Tribunnews.com|language=id-ID}}
Usra's position as coordinator became his last position in the military, as in 2017, he was relieved from his office and retired from the military shortly afterwards.{{Cite web|last=Erdianto|first=Kristian|date=31 October 2017|title=91 Perwira Tinggi TNI Dimutasi, Wakil KSAD Diganti|url=https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2017/10/31/12175301/91perwira-tinggi-tni-dimutasi-wakil-ksad-diganti|access-date=21 May 2021|website=Kompas|language=id}}
Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria
Usra joined the political party Golkar following his retirement from the military. In September 2018, Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto announced that the president had named Usra as a candidate to be the Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria. After passing a test held by the People's Representative Council,{{Cite web|last=Alfons|first=Matius|title=JK Minta 22 Calon Dubes Kontribusi Jaga Perdamaian|url=https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4294438/jk-minta-22-calon-dubes-kontribusi-jaga-perdamaian|access-date=21 May 2021|website=detiknews|language=id-ID}} he was installed as an ambassador on 21 November 2019. He is concurrently accredited as an ambassador to Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, São Tomé and Príncipe, Togo, and the Economic Community of West African States.{{Cite web|last=Tim|title=Direktur TKN Jokowi-Ma'ruf Dilantik Jadi Dubes Nigeria|url=https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20190321212418-32-379587/direktur-tkn-jokowi-maruf-dilantik-jadi-dubes-nigeria|access-date=21 May 2021|website=nasional|language=id-ID}}
On 3 May 2020, three Indonesian crew members of a fishing vessel were taken hostage by pirates off the coast of Santa Clara, Gabon.{{Cite web|last=Nusantara|first=Solusi Sistem|title=Kronologis Operasi Senyap Pembebasan 3 WNI ABK Amerger Gabon {{!}} Hukum|url=https://www.gatra.com/detail/news/481701/hukum/kronologis-operasi-senyap-pembebasan-3-wni-abk-amerger-gabon|access-date=21 May 2021|website=www.gatra.com|language=en-US}} Usra conducted communications with the Indonesian embassy in Paris, the Indonesian honorary consulate in Gabon, and the South Korean embassies in Abuja and Libreville in preparation for a rescue operation. He then personally led the operation to free the hostages. The hostages were released on 8 June and were picked up by Usra two days later.{{Cite web|last=BeritaSatu.com|title=Tiga WNI yang Disandera Perompak Afrika Berhasil Dibebaskan|url=https://www.beritasatu.com/nasional/644267/tiga-wni-yang-disandera-perompak-afrika-berhasil-dibebaskan|access-date=21 May 2021|website=beritasatu.com|language=id}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Indonesian Air Force air marshals
Category:Ambassadors of Indonesia to Nigeria
Category:Ambassadors of Indonesia to Benin
Category:Ambassadors of Indonesia to Burkina Faso
Category:Ambassadors of Indonesia to Ghana
Category:Ambassadors of Indonesia to Liberia
Category:Ambassadors of Indonesia to Niger