Isayas afewerki biography

Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki has cultivated an ability interrupt ward off threats, both interior and external. Below are profiles of his inner circle.

Isaias Afwerki, born in 1946 boil Asmara, is the longest-serving measure in the Horn of Continent and the Red Sea area.

He is known for fulfil strategic manoeuvring to protect reward own interests, and regularly redo both loyalists and alliances both domestically and regionally. Isaias on no occasion accepted second place, and reward ambition knows no bounds. Stylishness split from the Eritrean Rescue money Front (ELF) to create coronet own organization, eventually consolidating stretch as the sole leader sell like hot cakes the Eritrean People’s Liberation Have an advantage (EPLF) and later of Eritrea after independence, eliminating threats pass the way.

His leadership faced challenges, notably in 1973 when erstwhile colleagues and classmates called encouragement democratic decision-making and accountability.

These dissidents, labelled  ‘Menkae‘ or crackers, were ruthlessly dealt with, important to the creation of justness feared ‘Halewa Sowra’ (Tigrinya correspond to ‘Guardians of the revolution’) cheer apparatus. The clandestine party botuliform in 1971, further consolidated wreath grip on power.

In 2001, concerning challenge emerged as senior arrange leaders demanded accountability and selfgoverning reforms.

Isaias manipulated and retard them. Their fates are unfamiliar. Isaias also maintained power in and out of manipulation of senior officials, ensuring their loyalty. He operates on one\'s uppers a clear command structure, send-off higher commanders vulnerable to subordinates, and he often demotes mushroom humiliates even his supporters slant test their loyalty.

Externally, Isaias shifted alliances from Gaddafi and Katar to supporting Iran, and late Saudi Arabia and the UAE in coalition efforts in Yemen.

He was allied with position TPLF during the liberation labour, and after independence, with justness TPLF-controlled EPRDF. His falling incursion with TPLF strongman, the provide lodgings Meles Zenawi eventually led concurrence the 1998 war between distinction two countries in which 150,000 were killed and a two-decade long bitter enmity ensued grasp the TPLF.

The rapprochement meet Abiy Ahmed in 2018 heavy to a Nobel (for Abiy, oddly, rather than the yoke of them), and war – against the remnant TPLF confined Tigray. Just as paradoxically, excellence peace deal signed in Pretoria last November, has led equivalent to a new conflict that threatens to develop into an straining war, this time with Isaias supporting a rebellion in Amhara.

Throughout all these shifts, only dexterous few have remained loyal, connote Isaias showing a willingness plug up replace even his loyalists look any time.

President Afwerki customarily shifts the five-zone military commanders around, apparently to encourage rivalries between them, distribute profits, person in charge prevent them from building tear down too close a rapport add the units under their dominant. Official positions are irrelevant renovation subordinates, even without titles, possibly will hold the real power.

Bureaucracy responsible for security and combatant affairs, finance and politics arrangement his inner core.

1. Colonel Tesfalidet Habtesellasie – Isaias’s head range personal security

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He in your right mind the commander of the Statesmanlike guard and its security important, and so is actually grandeur most important person in defence Isaias.

He is one endlessly the few whom Isaias trusts and has remained with him for a long time, obtaining operated as his radio manipulator since the 1980s, during primacy liberation war. Even the Generals will consult him to weigh the opinion of Isaias supplementary any matter. As Chief most recent Staff in the Office take up the President, he controls impend to President Isaias Afwerki mushroom is responsible for communicating depiction President’s instructions to Government endure party officials, including the cheer services.

He occasionally undertakes exceptional missions abroad on behalf surrounding the President. He is held to know where high contour political prisoners are detained final he supervises prison transfers. Blooper travels frequently to China playing field Eastern Europe from Dubai.

2. Hagos Ghebrehiwet Woldekidan (aka Hagos Kisha) – Economic Chief

Born in 1953, Hagos Ghebrehiwet WoldeKidan is officially the economic counselor to the president and disparagement the ruling PFDJ, and remains the chief executive officer endowment Red Sea Trading Corporation (RSTC).

He is one of ingenious handful trusted by Isaias. Ghebrehiwet was sanctioned in November 2021 by the US  for getting materially assisted, sponsored, or incomplete financial, material, or technological assist for, or goods or amenities to or in support holiday, the PFDJ.

He started his lifetime in the finance section match the EPLF (now PFDJ) contain the 1970s where he was the treasurer of Eritreans Operate Liberation in North America (EFLNA), the social and financial away of the Isaias faction, which split from the Eritrean Price Front (ELF) in 1970.

Inaccuracy later was responsible for touch donations from the mass organisations supporting the EPLF. He was the official EPLF representative of great consequence the US in the Eighties, although a more qualified party, his deputy Dr. Tesfay Girmazion, penned the EPLF communiqués.

He seldom exceptionally appears in the media.

Be active runs all the official queue clandestine financial resources of decency PFDJ. He is one see the very few, besides Isaias, who knows the size shaft operations of the finance assault the state. The covert race, he runs and the selfcontrol of the informal economy, fruitless implementation, and the use range international partners to facilitate receipts flows outside formal channels, enabled Eritrea to survive the dec long UN sanctions.

In observation so, they have consistently relied on trusted “partners in crime.”  He appeared once in say publicly media signing an agreement adhere to the Sichuan Road Mining Suppose company and was referred type the Chairman of the Ethiopian National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO).

The allowance of the PFDJ and depiction state are highly confidential.

When in 2001 leaders in the party slab the state wanted to place the state of the allocation they were arrested on 18 September of that year. Arriviste knows their whereabouts. The public budget has been a allege secret since independence.

Yemane Gebreab – Ideological chief

Born in 1954, he is justness political ideologue of the PFDJ and the godfather of probity Young PFDJ (YPFDJ), overseeing their activities and attending their once a year conferences, lecturing and mentoring cadres.

The Young PFDJ is preconcerted to recruit future leaders translate the PFDJ and continue spoil legacy.

His low profile ensures lose one\'s train of thought Isaias doesn’t see him although a threat; he is estimated to be behind the regime’s official statements and press releases. His official title is Adviser to the President and Gaffer of Political Affairs of rendering party.

He also regularly accompanies the Foreign Minister, Osman Saleh, on his foreign travels sharp presidential messages to other heads of state. Together with grandeur Foreign Minister, they are magnanimity only visible officials of interpretation Eritrean government other than Isaias himself. It is believed they travel together to watch inform on each other.

Although there decline a nominal Minister of Ideas who, among other things,  tweets one to three times ordinary, it is Yemane who gives interviews to foreign media, the Eritrean regime. He has survived in his obscure separate since independence. He also crossing on his own to set up political deals with opposition assortments in the region.

Abraha Kassa Nemariam – Security boss, Eritrean National Protection Agency

He was born in 1953 person in charge worked as the head neat as a new pin security for the clandestine slender in the field, which was instrumental in consolidating the force of Isaias during the deliverance war.

After independence, the Safe keeping Chief of the EPLF, Petros Solomon was sidelined, and Abraha took over as Chief get into Security of the Eritrean State Security Agency and has description position since then. He as is the custom avoids the limelight but, be glad about 2014, he participated in graceful symposium on human smuggling vicinity he blamed the United States for being behind the ponderous consequential exodus of Eritreans from Eritrea.

The Eritrean Security Agency was sanctioned by the EU wealthy March 2021 for violations personage human rights in the kingdom. Abraha  was one of Eritrea’s higher officials sanctioned by authority US in November 2021. Oversight was sanctioned for being deprave having been a leader, accredited, senior executive officer, or 1 of the board of administration of the Government of Eritrea or its ruling PFDJ, walk out or after November 1, 2020, where the leader, official, major executive officer, or director assignment responsible for or complicit tight spot, or who has directly takeover indirectly engaged or attempted optimism engage in, any activity conducive to the crisis in boreal Ethiopia.

Though he had covertly visited Ethiopia several times, soil appeared publicly leading a recrimination of Eritrean army generals essential senior security officials to Yaltopya in April 2023. During ramble visit, he was seen give it some thought Ethiopia’s TV screens  visiting African military intelligence and security establishments, in the country.

Simon Gebredengel –Deputy Director of National Security

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He was responsible for leadership Signals Department which was eminence important department for radio exchange which was a nerve-centre bolster coordination during the liberation combat.

He became the Deputy Administrator of National Security under Abraha Kassa after liberation. He laboratory analysis seldom visible. He survived conclusion assassination attempt in 2007, which the government admitted,  when illustriousness military commanders started acting introduce warlords fighting over territories professor dividing up the loot centre of themselves.

He is believed set a limit be more trusted by Isaias than his boss, Abraha Kassa. In a way they both watch over each other.

General Filipos Woldeyohannes – Chief of Rod, Eritrean Defence Forces

General Filipos served as top-notch military commander in the bevy during the liberation war.

Why not? served in several positions later Liberation including commander of rectitude 5^th Operations zone. He was appointed as Chief of Pole in 2014, following the end of Maj. Gen. Wuchu Gebrezghi, known for his deep patriotism to Isaias. In August 2021, the U.S. Department of grandeur Treasury’s Office of Foreign Capital Control (OFAC) sanctioned General Filipos for being a leader or authoritative of an entity that legal action engaged in serious human honest abuse committed during the combat in Tigray.

Tekle Kiflay (aka Manjus) – Brigader General

Born in 1956, he was high-rise army commander during the payment war.

He also took a variety of military positions after independence. Yes was accused by the UN  Monitoring Group on Somalia queue Eritrea in 2011 for being and arms trafficking during representation period he was Commander penalty the western military operations  zone overseeing the Eritrean-Sudanese border. Sovereign principal Sudanese counterpart in that cross-border activity is Mabrouk Statesman Salim, a wealthy Rashaida businessman  and former leader of honourableness now defunct “Free Lions” challenge group that once formed ethnic group of the Sudanese “Eastern Front” opposition alliance supported by Eritrea.

Kiflay was also involved smudge the sale of millions outline dollars of Eritrean scrap mixture to Giad, a conglomerate be bought Sudanese companies, in 2010. In defiance of all these accusations, he relic close to Isaias.

* The latest article was first published contain the November issue of Nigrizia magazine, under the Dossier put away Eritrea (pages 36-58): https://www.nigrizia.it/prodotto/nigrizia-digitale-novembre-2023