Source: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Author: Arne Perras

Head of government, commander-in-chief, president: Isaias Afwerki has ruled Eritrea with iron power for 32 years.

The tyrant, who has ruled for over 30 years, is a figurehead for radical opponents of the regime, some of whom are now suspected of terrorism in Germany.

Isaias Afewerki rules a narrow empire on the shores of the Red Sea, sometimes referred to as Africa’s North Korea: Eritrea. The ascetic-looking dictator with the thick mustache has managed to seal off his country like few others. In doing so, the 79-year-old is securing what seems to have been most important to him for 32 years: his own power.

Resistance is forming abroad, in the Eritrean diaspora. This became apparent again just a few days ago when the Federal Prosecutor’s Office ordered a major raid against suspected perpetrators of violence on German soil. They are suspected of terrorism, and quite a few have been sentenced to prison terms for injuring German police officers on the sidelines of so-called Eritrean festivals. Investigators are interested in the N’Hamedu Brigade, a network whose members, of course, see themselves as liberators. They want to overthrow an oppressor: Isaias Afewerki.

Radical opponents of the Eritrean cultural festivals, which take place in many places in Europe, see them as a tribute to the hated dictator, which is why they are being attacked. It is controversial to what extent the anti-Afewerki front draws its strength from Tigray, the part of Ethiopia that has close cultural ties to Eritrea.

Afewerki grew up in Asmara and later began studying engineering in Ethiopia. But he was even more committed to his homeland’s liberation struggle, fighting for Eritrea’s separation from Ethiopia. Eritrea was once an Italian colony, later taken over by the British before finally being annexed to Ethiopia. The rebellion was tough and costly; in 1993, the insurgents triumphed, and rebel leader Afewerki rose to the helm of the now-independent Eritrea.

Thirty-two years later, he still governs the country with its more than three million inhabitants. With all his might. Mercilessly.

Afewerki’s repression and lack of prospects are driving hundreds of thousands of Eritreans to flee abroad, but the dictator is still taking advantage of this desperate exodus. He has built long arms in other countries, and regime henchmen collect taxes from Eritreans abroad; Afewerki is said to generate about a third of his state budget this way.

However, the diaspora is divided. Those who left the country decades ago, during the freedom struggle, often remain close to the regime. Many in the younger generation view the long-time dictator, who idolizes Mao, with hatred. Diplomats have attested to Afewerki’s pronounced narcissistic traits, and he also appears to be driven by intense paranoia; he apparently sees enemies everywhere.

At home, Afewerki shows no qualms about nipping any resistance in the bud. Torture is common in Eritrea’s prisons, and abject poverty reigns. And Eritreans are forced to serve in the military for as long as the regime demands it; some do so for decades. Afewerki is said to have just ordered a general mobilization, and tensions with Ethiopia are rising again. The dictator apparently anticipates that the large neighbor might attempt to gain access to the sea by force. Since Eritrea gained independence, Ethiopia no longer has a port, which is a huge political issue.

Afewerki knows how to exploit the toxic climate and the mistrust. He needs the image of a persistent external threat to consolidate his position. Will the resistance of the diaspora ever pose a threat to him? If the flow of money from abroad dries up, it would be a severe blow to the regime. For now, however, there is nothing to indicate that his power could end anytime soon.


Afewerki has never allowed elections; there is no parliament. He is head of government, head of state, and commander-in-chief all in one. Only one person decides on war and peace. Because the state of Eritrea is and will remain Isaias Afewerki.