Saturday June 21, 2025
By Teklemariam Bekit, Editor, BBC Tigrinya(HAN)-More than thirty years after coming to power, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki remains one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, with no sign of relinquishing control. Once praised as a symbol of hope and reform, President Isaias has instead consolidated power, leaving many Eritreans disillusioned.
Now 79 years old, President Isaias spends much of his time at his secluded residence on a dry hillside about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the capital, Asmara. Since 2018, Eritrea’s cabinet has not convened, and power is tightly centralized in the hands of the president. His retreat has become a hub for visits by both foreign diplomats and local officials, as well as ordinary citizens seeking solutions to their grievances—usually in vain.
Throughout his 32 years in power, President Isaias has never faced an election, and there appears to be no intention of holding one. Yet, in the early 1990s, the atmosphere in Eritrea was full of promise and optimism.
Isaias Afwerki was 45 years old when his rebel group, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF), defeated Ethiopian forces in 1991, ending a brutal war and marking the beginning of Eritrea’s de facto independence. Formal independence was declared in 1993 following a referendum.
At the time, Isaias was seen as a tall, charismatic figure who inspired both domestic and international confidence. He made his debut on the global stage in Cairo at a continental summit, where he sharply criticized the older generation of African leaders who clung to power for decades.
He promised that Eritrea would not follow the same path. Instead, he pledged to build a democratic system that would support the country’s social and economic development. These promises were welcomed by Eritreans and applauded by the international community.
However, three decades later, those pledges remain unfulfilled. Eritrea remains under tight authoritarian rule, with few signs of democratic reform or open governance. For many citizens, the hopes they once placed in their leader have long since faded.
