Isaias Afwerki
Isaias Afwerki | |
|---|---|
| ኢሳይያስ ኣፍወርቂ | |
| 1st President of Eritrea | |
| Assumed office 24 May 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| 1st President of the National Assembly of Eritrea | |
| Assumed office 24 May 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| 1st Chairman of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice | |
| Assumed office 16 February 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| 1st Secretary-General of the Provisional Government of Eritrea | |
| In office 27 April 1991 – 24 May 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| 2nd Leader of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front | |
| In office 12 January 1987 – 16 February 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Romodan Mohammed Nur |
| Succeeded by | Party dissolved |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 February 1946 Asmara, Eritrea |
| Party | People's Front for Democracy and Justice (since 1994) |
| Other political affiliations | Eritrean People's Liberation Front (1987–1994) |
| Spouse | Saba Hailu |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Addis Ababa University (dropped out) |
| Signature | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | ELF (1966–1969) EPLF (1970–1994) |
| Years of service | 1966–1991 |
| Battles/wars | Eritrean War of Independence Eritrean Civil Wars |
Isaias Afwerki (Tigrinya: ኢሳይያስ ኣፍወርቂ, pronounced [isajas afwɐrkʼi] ⓘ; born 2 February 1946) is an Eritrean politician who has served as the president of Eritrea since its independence in 1993 and the chairman of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) since 1994.
Isaias joined the pro-independence Eritrean Liberation Front in 1966 and quickly rose through the ranks to become its leader in 1970, before defecting to form the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF). Having consolidated power within this group, he led pro-independence forces to victory on 24 May 1991, ending the 30-year-old war for independence from Ethiopia, before being elected president of the newly founded country of Eritrea two years later.
Western scholars and historians have long considered Isaias to be a dictator, with Eritrea's constitution remaining unenforced, electoral institutions effectively being nonexistent, and a policy of mass conscription. The United Nations and Amnesty International have cited him for human rights violations. In 2024, Reporters Without Borders ranked Eritrea, under the government of Isaias, last out of 180 countries in its Press Freedom Index, lower than North Korea.