Berhane Abrehe
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Berhane Abrehe | |
|---|---|
| በርሃነ አብረሀ | |
.jpg) Abrehe in 1995 | |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 2001–2012 | |
| President | Isaias Afwerki |
| Preceded by | Ghebreselassie Yoseph |
| Succeeded by | Berhane Habtemariam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1945 Quandeba, British-occupied Eritrea |
| Died | 19 August 2024 (aged 78–79) Carshelli prison, Asmara, Eritrea |
| Party | PFDJ |
| Alma mater | Haile Selassie University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Profession | Civil Engineer and Economist |
Berhane Abrehe (Tigrinya: በርሃነ አብረሀ; 1945 – 19 August 2024) was an Eritrean politician who served in various key positions within the government. Born in 1945 in Quandeba, Eritrea, he had a long and distinguished career in Eritrean politics and public service before being arrested in 2018 for criticising the country's president, Isaias Afwerki, and dying in solitary confinement in 2024.
Berhane Abrehe's political journey began during his high school years in Jimma, Ethiopia when he joined the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) in 1963. After completing his education at Haile Selassie University in Addis Ababa, he migrated to the United States. In 1970, he became a founding member of the Eritreans for Liberation in North America (EFLNA). In 1972, he obtained a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois.[1]
He returned to Ethiopia and worked at the Awash Valley Authority before joining the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) in 1975, actively participating in the Eritrean War of Independence. Throughout the conflict, he played a significant role in the leadership of the EPLF.[citation needed]
After Eritrea proclaimed independence in May 1993, Abrehe held several important positions within the government. He served as the Minister of Land and Water in the 1990s and later assumed the role of Minister of Finance of Eritrea, serving from 2001[1] to 2012.