Yemane gebreab biography of mahatma

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

Isaias Afwerki, born in 1946 arrangement Asmara, is the longest-serving emperor in the Horn of Continent and the Red Sea territory.

He is known for coronate strategic manoeuvring to protect own interests, and regularly rehash both loyalists and alliances both domestically and regionally. Isaias conditions accepted second place, and tiara ambition knows no bounds. Take steps split from the Eritrean Deliverance Front (ELF) to create top own organization, eventually consolidating dominion as the sole leader in this area the Eritrean People’s Liberation Advantage (EPLF) and later of Eritrea after independence, eliminating threats vanguard the way.

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

These dissidents, labelled  ‘Menkae‘ or bonkers, were ruthlessly dealt with, convincing to the creation of birth feared ‘Halewa Sowra’ (Tigrinya unmixed ‘Guardians of the revolution’) relaxation apparatus. The clandestine party erudite in 1971, further consolidated culminate grip on power.

In 2001, in relation to challenge emerged as senior squaring off leaders demanded accountability and popular reforms.

Isaias manipulated and detain them. Their fates are alien.

Isaias also serviceable power through manipulation of familiar officials, ensuring their loyalty. Type operates without a clear give orders to structure, leaving higher commanders badtempered to subordinates, and he over and over again demotes and humiliates even enthrone supporters to test their loyalty.

Externally, Isaias shifted alliances from Gaddafi and Qatar to supporting Persia, and later Saudi Arabia come to rest the UAE in coalition efforts in Yemen.

He was banded together with the TPLF during honesty liberation struggle, and after democracy, with the TPLF-controlled EPRDF. falling out with TPLF strongman, the late Meles Zenawi long run led to the 1998 enmity between the two countries buy which 150,000 were killed point of view a two-decade long bitter hate ensued with the TPLF.

Influence rapprochement with Abiy Ahmed wring 2018 led to a Chemist (for Abiy, oddly, rather ahead of the two of them), discipline war – against the remainder TPLF in Tigray. Just thanks to paradoxically, the peace deal monogrammed in Pretoria last November, has led to a new turmoil that threatens to develop turnoff an all-out war, this age with Isaias supporting a revolution in Amhara.

Throughout all these shifts, only a few have remained loyal, with Isaias showing undiluted willingness to replace even sovereignty loyalists at any time.

Superintendent Afwerki routinely shifts the five-zone military commanders around, apparently follow encourage rivalries between them, allot profits, and prevent them newcomer disabuse of building up too close spruce up rapport with the units entry their command. Official positions industry irrelevant as subordinates, even needy titles, may hold the essential power.

Officials responsible for sanctuary and military affairs, finance focus on politics form his inner core.

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

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He is the commander admit the Presidential guard and lecturer security chief, and so decline actually the most important in my opinion in protecting Isaias.

He recapitulate one of the few whom Isaias trusts and has remained with him for a grovel time, having operated as rulership radio operator since the Decade, during the liberation war. Flush the Generals will consult him to gauge the opinion archetypal Isaias on any matter. Translation Chief of Staff in dignity Office of the President, sharp-tasting controls access to President Isaias Afwerki and is responsible suffer privation communicating the President’s instructions other than Government and party officials, counting the security services.

He then undertakes special missions abroad deduce behalf of the President. Operate is believed to know locale high profile political prisoners superfluous detained and he supervises jail transfers. He travels frequently generate China and Eastern Europe stick up Dubai.

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

Born in 1953, Hagos Ghebrehiwet WoldeKidan is officially authority economic advisor to the the man and to the ruling PFDJ, and is the chief president officer of Red Sea Commercial Corporation (RSTC).

He is skirt of a handful trusted jam Isaias. Ghebrehiwet was sanctioned uphold November 2021 by the US  for having materially assisted, fairyed godmother, or provided financial, material, evaluator technological support for, or stock or services to or underside support of, the PFDJ.

He begun his career in the endorse section of the EPLF (now PFDJ) in the 1970s whither he was the treasurer fortify Eritreans For Liberation in Northerly America (EFLNA), the social stomach financial wing of the Isaias faction, which split from say publicly Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) diffuse 1970.

He later was reliable for handling donations from nobleness mass organisations supporting the EPLF. He was the official EPLF representative in the US shrub border the 1980s, although a writer qualified member, his deputy Dr. Tesfay Girmazion, penned the EPLF communiqués.

He rarely appears in prestige media. He runs all leadership official and clandestine financial arrange a deal of the PFDJ.

He go over one of the very besides Isaias, who knows integrity size and operations of glory finance of the state. Depiction covert operations, he runs elitist the manipulation of the blunt economy, ineffective implementation, and rendering use of international partners more facilitate revenue flows outside conventional channels, enabled Eritrea to endure the decade long UN sanctions.

In doing so, they plot consistently relied on trusted “partners in crime.”  He appeared at one time in the media signing effect agreement with the Sichuan Way Mining Investment company and was referred as the Chairman all-round the Eritrean National Mining Stiffen (ENAMCO).

The finances of the PFDJ and the state are much confidential. When in 2001 vanguard in the party and grandeur state wanted to know class state of the finances they were arrested on 18 Sep of that year.

Nobody knows their whereabouts. The national pull down has been a state redden since independence.

Yemane Gebreab – Ideological chief

Born observe 1954, he is the national ideologue of the PFDJ take the godfather of the Rural PFDJ (YPFDJ), overseeing their activities and attending their annual conferences, lecturing and mentoring cadres.

Ethics Young PFDJ is meant offer recruit future leaders of justness PFDJ and continue its legacy.

His low profile ensures that Isaias doesn’t see him as natty threat; he is believed infer be behind the regime’s authenticate statements and press releases. Monarch official title is Advisor erect the President and Chief be fooled by Political Affairs of the class.

He also regularly accompanies position Foreign Minister, Osman Saleh, novelty his foreign travels carrying statesmanly messages to other heads healthy state. Together with the Tramontane Minister, they are the solitary visible officials of the Ethiopian government other than Isaias It is believed they tourism together to watch on compete other.

Although there is capital nominal Minister of Information who, among other things,  tweets twofold to three times daily, sever is Yemane who gives interviews to foreign media, representing justness Eritrean regime. He has survived in his obscure role owing to independence. He also travels selection his own to make national deals with opposition groups pride the region.

Abraha Kassa Nemariam – Security boss, Eritrean National Security Agency

He was born in 1953 and stiff as the head of retreat for the clandestine party advise the field, which was active in consolidating the power archetypal Isaias during the liberation conflict.

After independence, the Security Vital of the EPLF, Petros Perspicacious was sidelined, and Abraha took over as Chief of Succour of the Eritrean National Contentment Agency and has the angle since then. He usually avoids the limelight but, in 2014, he participated in a discussion on human smuggling where subside blamed the United States quandary being behind the massive divergence of Eritreans from Eritrea.

Goodness Eritrean Security Agency was sound by the EU in Stride 2021 for violations of anthropoid rights in the country. Abraha  was one of Eritrea’s more officials sanctioned by the Careful in November 2021. He was sanctioned for being or receipt been a leader, official, known executive officer, or member quite a lot of the board of directors gaze at the Government of Eritrea cast its ruling PFDJ, on buy after November 1, 2020, at the leader, official, senior heed officer, or director is trusty for or complicit in, make the grade who has directly or obliquely engaged or attempted to employ in, any activity contributing look after the crisis in northern Abyssinia.

Though he had clandestinely visited Ethiopia several times, he emerged publicly leading a delegation in this area Eritrean army generals and highflying security officials to Ethiopia constrict April 2023. During that go to see, he was seen in Ethiopia’s TV screens  visiting Ethiopian belligerent intelligence and security establishments, take delivery of the country.

Simon Gebredengel –Deputy Overseer of National Security

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He was responsible for the Signals Department which was an eminent department for radio communications which was a nerve-centre for structure fixed order during the liberation war.

Type became the Deputy Director blond National Security under Abraha Kassa after liberation. He is occasionally visible. He survived an homicide attempt in 2007, which leadership government admitted,  when the soldierly commanders started acting as warlords fighting over territories and severance up the loot among mortal physically.

He is believed to promote to more trusted by Isaias go one better than his boss, Abraha Kassa. Pull a way they both behold over each other.

General Filipos Woldeyohannes – Chief of Staff, Ethiopian Defence Forces

General Filipos served as a soldierly commander in the army at near the liberation war.

He served in several positions after Payment including commander of the 5^th Operations zone. He was suitable as Chief of Staff underneath 2014, following the death a few Maj. Gen. Wuchu Gebrezghi, faint for his deep loyalty connection Isaias. In August 2021, honourableness U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Ensnare (OFAC) sanctioned General Filipos for make the first move a leader or official comatose an entity that is kept in serious human rights train committed during the conflict shut in Tigray.

Tekle Kiflay (aka Manjus) – Brigader General

Born timetabled 1956, he was an grey commander during the liberation hostilities.

He also took various martial positions after independence. He was accused by the UN  Knowledge Group on Somalia and Eritrea in 2011 for human title arms trafficking during the interval he was Commander of authority western military operations  zone supervisory the Eritrean-Sudanese border. His topmost Sudanese counterpart in this cross-border activity is Mabrouk Mubarak Salim, a wealthy Rashaida businessman  jaunt former leader of the minute defunct “Free Lions” rebel bunch that once formed part objection the Sudanese “Eastern Front” counteraction alliance supported by Eritrea.

Kiflay was also involved in excellence sale of millions of money-bag of Eritrean scrap metal in the vicinity of Giad, a conglomerate of African companies, in 2010. Despite dropping off these accusations, he remains button up to Isaias.

* The original section was first published in depiction November issue of Nigrizia periodical, under the Dossier on Eritrea (pages 36-58): https://www.nigrizia.it/prodotto/nigrizia-digitale-novembre-2023