Famous people of Eritrea

Famous people from Eritrea

Here is a list of famous people from Eritrea. Curious if anybody from Eritrea made it our most famous people in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.

Meb Keflezighi

Olympic athlete

Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezighi is an American athlete, specializing in long distance running. He is a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in the Marathon and finished in 4th place in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Isaias Afewerki

Politician

Isaias Afwerki to victory in May 1991, thus ending the 30-year-old armed liberation struggle that the Eritrean people refer to as "Gedli". Two years later, he became President following an independence referendum. He is the head of the ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice. Afwerki was born in Asmara, Eritrea, and attended Haile Selassie I University until he dropped out to join the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF). While with the ELF, he spent some time in China getting military and associated political training. In early 1974, complaining about the political and the organizational structure of the ELF, Afwerki and a handful other Tegadelti (liberation fighters) split from the ELF and formed a new liberation movement. Other Tegadelti also branched off from the ELF and formed two other liberation movements. These moves sparked an internal war among the Eritrean movements. Afewerki's movement survived and was called the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF). In 1975, Afwerki became the chairman of the EPLF military committee and in 1977, he became the vice secretary-general. And in 1991, the EPLF entered Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, in victory thus ending the 30 years of armed liberation struggle of the Eritrean people. And two years later, in 1993, after a UN-supervised referendum, Eritrea became officially an independent nation.

Zersenay Tadese

Olympic athlete

Zersenay Tadese is an Eritrean long-distance track, and road running athlete. He currently holds the men's half marathon world record. His bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics made him the first ever Eritrean Olympic medallist, and his 20 km title at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships also made him the country's first athlete to win at a world championship event. He does not use a sprint finish to win races: his strategy relies upon a combination of efficient running and fast pace setting. Zersenay has found most of his success over the half marathon distance, with four consecutive victories in the World Half Marathon Championships from 2006 to 2009, a fifth title in 2012, and a world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2010. He has also excelled in cross country running, winning a gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in the long distance race over five IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He is a three-time Olympian. In 2009 Zersenay became only the second man to win three World Championship medals over three different surfaces in the same year: winning World Cross Country bronze, 10,000 metres World Championship silver on the track, and gold in road running at the World Half Marathon Championships. He is a popular public figure in his home country; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon, which was broadcast live on Eritrean television. His brother, Kidane Tadese, is also a professional distance runner.

Abram Petrovich Gannibal

Military Person

Major-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal, also Hannibal or Ganibal or Ibrahim Hannibal or Abram Petrov, was an African kidnapped and brought to Russia. He became major-general, military engineer, governor of Reval and nobleman of the Russian Empire. He is perhaps best known today as the great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, who wrote an unfinished novel about him, Peter the Great's Negro.

Bruno Lauzi

Musical Artist

Bruno Lauzi was an Italian singer-songwriter, poet and writer.

Dawit Isaak

Playwright

Dawit Isaak is a Swedish-Eritrean playwright, journalist and writer. Isaak has been held in Eritrean prison since 2001 without trial and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and has called for his immediate and unconditional release. He is the only Swedish citizen held as a prisoner of conscience.

Daniel Teklehaymanot

Professional Road Racing Cyclist

Daniel Teklehaymanot Girmazion is a professional road racing cyclist from Eritrea.

Evan Farmer

Actor

Evan Ragland Farmer, Jr. is an American actor, musician, designer, songwriter, television personality, and author.

Remo Girone

Actor

Remo Girone is an Italian film and stage actor. He is best known for the role of Tano Cariddi in the epic TV mini-series La Piovra, about the Mafia. As a Mafia leader, Tano's chief enemies were Commissario Corrado Cattani and Giudice Silvia Conti.

Lara Saint Paul

Pop Artist

Silvana Savorelli, professionally known as Lara Saint Paul, is an Italian Eritrean singer, entertainer, impresario and record producer.

Yonas Kifle

Olympic Road runner

Yonas Andebrhan Kifle is an Eritrean runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres, the road running and cross-country running. He has represented Eritrea at the Olympics on three occasions; in 2000, 2004 and 2008. He has also competed at World Championship-level in cross country, road running, and on the track indoors and outdoors. He was the bronze medallist in the half marathon at the 2007 All-Africa Games and the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. His personal bests include 59:30 minutes for the half marathon and 2:07:34 hours for the marathon.

Hamid Idris Awate

Man

Hamid Idris Awate was an Eritrean independence leader and the creator of the Eritrean Liberation Army.

Senait Mehari

Singer

Senait Ghebrehiwet Mehari is an Eritrean-born German singer. She goes professionally by her single name "Senait". She is also known as Senait Mehari, although this is a common understanding and is due to the Europeanization of an Eritrean naming convention.

Zeudi Araya

Film Actor

Zeudi Araya Cristaldi is a film producer and actor.

Aman Andom

Politician

Aman Mikael Andom was the first post-imperial acting Head of State of Ethiopia. He was an Eritrean originally from the village of Tsazega in Hamassien province of Eritrea. He was appointed to this position following the coup d'état that deposed Emperor Haile Selassie on 12 September 1974, and served until his death in a shootout with his former supporters. His official title was Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council, and he held the position of Head of State in an acting capacity as the military regime had officially proclaimed Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen as "King-designate". As commander of the Third Division, General Aman had been beating back the encroachments of the Somali army on the eastern border with a zeal and success that he was known as the "Desert Lion." However, in 1964 the Emperor dismissed General Aman Andom when he began to attack into Somalia in violation of an order from the Emperor, and Aman afterwards served in the Ethiopian Senate in a "political exile". There is some evidence that indicates he had contacts with the officers of the junta as early as February and March 1974, but by July he was appointed chief of staff to the military junta. Three days after the junta removed the Emperor from his palace to imprisonment at the headquarters of the Fourth Division, this group appointed him their chairman and president of Ethiopia. At the same time, this group of soldiers assumed the name "Provisional Military Administrative Council", better known as the Derg.

Abraham Afewerki

Singer

Abraham Afewerki was an Eritrean singer, songwriter and music producer. Noted for his unique Tigrinya-based compositions and lyrics, he was one of the most recognized figures among Eritrean musicians and celebrities.

Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi

Organization founder

Abdul Rahman Al-Amoudi, ahb-duh-rah-MAHN ahl-ah-MOO-dee; also known as Abdurahman Alamoudi is a former American Muslim activist known for founding the American Muslim Council. He pled guilty to financial and conspiracy charges in 2004, which resulted in a 23-year prison sentence.

Marina Colasanti

Journalist

Marina Colasanti is a Brazilian writer, translator and journalist. Her family moved from Italy to Brazil when World War II started, and there she studied Fine Arts and worked as a journalist and as a translator.

Ella Thomas

Actor

Ella A. Thomas is an Eritrean-American actress and model.

Nando Cicero

Screenwriter

Fernando Cicero, better known as Nando Cicero, was an Italian film director and actor. Born in Asmara, Cicero debuted as an actor, working with directors such as Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini, Francesco Rosi and Alberto Lattuada. He starred in eleven films between 1953 and 1962, always in supporting roles. After his directorial debut with Lo scippo he directed three Spaghetti Western films. From 1970 he focused on comedy genre, directing some parody films starred by Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia. Starting from The School Teacher Cicero established himself as one of the most important and successful directors of the commedia sexy all'italiana film genre. Following the decline of the genre, he retired in 1983; his last film was Paulo Roberto Cotechino, starring Alvaro Vitali and Carmen Russo.

Petros Solomon

Politician

Petros Solomon is an Eritrean politician. He was an Eritrean People's Liberation Front commander during the Eritrean War of Independence, and following independence he served in several positions in the Cabinet, including Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has been in prison, held incommunicado in an undisclosed location, since September 18, 2001 for opposing the rule of Eritrean president Isaias Afewerki. Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience.

Yemane Baria

Singer

Yemane Ghebremichael, was a well-known Eritrean songwriter, composer and singer. Not confined to musical pursuits, he was also heavily involved in Eritrean politics. He died of natural causes in 1997.

Osman Saleh Mohammed

Politician

Osman Saleh Mohammed was the first Minister of Education for Eritrea following Independence, serving in that position from 1993 to 2007. He has overseen the transition from the revolutionary EPLF school system to a national education system. Osman Saleh Mohammed was also responsible for the Ministry of Education's relocation of all 12th grades in the country to the Warsay Yika'alo School at Sawa. In April 2007, he was moved to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yared Asmerom

Olympic Road runner

Yared Asmerom Tesfit is an Eritrean long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon races. He was born in Asmara.

Samuel Tsegay

Olympic Road runner

Samuel Tsegay is an Eritrean long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. He was born in Kudofelasi. As a junior he competed in the junior races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing seventeenth in 2005, eighth in 2006 and eighth in 2007. He finished fourth in the 10,000 metres at the 2006 World Junior Championships. At the 2009 World Cross Country Championships he finished sixteenth in the senior race. The Eritrean team took bronze medals in the team competition. He finished fifth at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships, and competed in the 5000 metres at the 2009 World Championships. A fifth place at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships gained him a team silver medal alongside Zersenay Tadese. He took third at the Cross Valle de Llodio in November behind compatriot Teklemariam Medhin. He ran at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships but was ultimately disqualified as he and Ethiopia's Abera Kuma began fighting on the final stretch. Reflecting the history of antipathy between the nations, Tsegay accused the Ethiopian of deliberately elbowing him and standing on his heels from behind, thus he reacted by grabbing Abera's leg and threw a punch before dashing to the finish. The IAAF disqualified both athletes for their conduct. He ran a personal best of 2:07:28 hours at the Amsterdam Marathon in October that year. Although this time brought him the national record for the marathon, previously held by Yonas Kifle, he only finished eighth in the high calibre race. At the 2012 Egmond Half Marathon he took third place.

Bahta Hagos

Military Person

Bahta Hagos was Dejazmach of Akkele Guzay, and retrospectively considered an important leader of Eritrean resistance to foreign domination. He was born in the mid-19th century in the town of Segeneiti and was killed in a battle against the Italian Colonial Army on December 19, 1894.

Kidane Tadesse

Man

Kidane Tadesse Habtesilase is an Eritrean long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. He was born in Adi Bana. As a junior he competed in the junior races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing sixteenth in 2005 and eleventh in 2006. He finished sixth in the 5000 metres at the 2006 World Junior Championships. At the 2008 Olympic Games he finished tenth in the 5000 metres and twelfth in the 10,000 metres. At the 2009 World Championships he finished ninth in the 10,000 metres and failed to reach the final of the 5000 metres. His best finish at the World Cross Country Championships in a senior race was 26th in 2008. He was part of the Eritrean silver medal winning team at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The following November he took third behind the competition's gold and silver medallists at the Cross de Atapuerca, and was then second to Medhin at the Oeiras Cross. He was third behind the duo again at the Cross de la Constitución in December. After missing the entirety of the 2011 track season, he returned to competition on grass and was a close second at the Cross de Atapuerca in November, losing in a sprint finish against the world champion Imane Merga. At the Cross Valle de Llodio he was again runner-up, beaten by Leonard Komon, but he edged Ebuya to win the Cross de la Constitución.

Mesfin Hagos

Man

Mesfin Hagos was born in Quazien, Eritrea. He was a founding member of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in 1977. Before founding that organization he had joined the Eritrean Liberation Front in 1966 as an ordinary member. He eventually would become Deputy Commander of ELF Zone 5. Mesfin Hagos left the ELF in 1970 with Isaias Afewerki. Mesfin Hagos was a part of the founding leadership of the EPLF. Mesfin Hagos briefly served as the Chief of Staff in the EPLF. He was one of the commanders of the battle of Af'abet that destroyed the back bone of the Ethiopian army. In the middle of that battle, he was ordered by Isaias Afwerki to retreat to Nakfa but he turned off the radio message and liberated the town of Afabet. In the election for the Presidency, he lost to Isaias Afewerki by one vote. After Independence he led a mutiny of soldiers but was later appointed and confirmed as Eritrea's first Minister of Defence. In 1995 he stepped down from his post and became the Regional Administrator of the Southern Region. In 2001 he joined the G-15 which among other things suggested the constitution of Eritrea to be implememnted and undertake presidential election. Eritrea was one party state with president Isaias on the seat since independence 1991. Fortunately for Mesfin, he happened to be overseas at the moment when all the remaining minsters and founders of EPLF were picked from their homes and arrested incommunicado. Nobody knows their whereabouts. Mesfin Hagos is now a member of an Eritrean Democratic Party, based outside Eritrea.

Weynay Ghebresilasie

Olympic athlete

Weynay Ghebresilasie is an Eritrean runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He competed in that event at the 2012 Summer Olympics, coming tenth in his heat, and was the flag bearer of the Eritrean team. He also placed sixth at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics that year. Subsequent to the Olympics, he sought political asylum in the United Kingdom. He joined Sunderland Harriers & Athletic Club and stated that if successful in his asylum application he would like to run for Great Britain.

Woldeab Woldemariam

Politician

Woldeab Woldemariam also spelled as Weldeab Weldemariam was one of the original proponents of the Eritrean Independence movement and is considered the father of Eritrea. He worked closely with Ibrahim Sultan Ali before the Federation with Ethiopia to secure Eritrean Independence. Woldeab Woldemariam was a devout Christian of the Protestant congregation. He was born in the Eritrean village of Adi Zarna.

Filmon Ghirmai

Professional Steeplechase Athlete

Firmon Ghirmai is a German runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He came to Stuttgart, Germany, at the age of six as a refugee from the Eritrean War of Independence. Before specializing in middle distance running, he played association football for VfB Stuttgart. Ghirmai also studied business economics at the renowned University of Tübingen. He finished twelfth at the 1998 World Junior Championships and seventh at the 2002 IAAF World Cup. He also competed at the 2002 European Championships and the 2003 World Championships without reaching the finals. His personal best time is 8:20.50 minutes, achieved in June 2003 in Luzern. Ghirmai became German steeplechase champion in 2002, 2004 and 2005. In 2009, he became German 10000 m champion. He has competed for the sports clubs LAC Pliezhausen and LAV Tübingen. Ghirmais coach is the 1992 Olympic Champion over 5000 m, Dieter Baumann.

Ruth Simon

Woman

Ruth Simon is an Eritrean journalist. Simon worked with the Eritrean People's Liberation Front during the Eritrean War of Independence, heading its secret publications. She also served as editor-in-chief of the Association for the Reintegration of Eritrean Women Guerrilla Fighters magazine Bana. After the war, she was arrested on 25 April 1997 by the Eritrean government while working as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists stated that she had been arrested for reporting an alleged statement by President Isaias Afewerki that Eritrean soldiers were fighting together with Sudanese rebel groups. The People's Front for Democracy and Justice, Afewerki's party, released a statement the day after her report calling it a "gross distortion" and stating that Eritrean forces were not participating in the Second Sudanese Civil War. Simon was the first journalist to be arrested in Eritrea since its independence four years before. Simon was held without trial until May 1998, when Afewerki announced that the reporter would face trial and that Eritrea would sue AFP for spreading false information through a "so-called agent". The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders appealed on her behalf, as did the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and CPJ. In November of that year, Simon was awarded a CPJ International Press Freedom Award in absentia, the first Eritrean to win the award. On 29 December 1998, Simon was released without ever having been tried.

Haile Woldense

Politician

Haile Woldense is an Eritrean politician. Woldense attended High School in Asmara, Eritrea. After graduation he was accepted to the Addis Ababa University engineering program. There he met Isaias Afewerki and they withdrew from school to join the Eritrean Liberation Front. In 1974 he became a member of what would become the Eritrea People's Liberation Front Central Committee and joined the Political Bureau. He was the head master of EPLF's cadre school, who transformed the movement. After Independence he became the Minister of Finance and Development and served in that position until 1997. In mid-February 1997, he was instead appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a member of the G-15, who requested the resignation of the President of Eritrea to end the war with Ethiopia, he was arrested and replaced in his position. Amnesty International considers Woldense and the other imprisoned G-15 members to be prisoners of conscience and has called for their immediate release.

Haile Debas

Physician

Haile Debas is an Eritrean physician and academic administrator at the University of California, San Francisco.

Ali Abdalla

Olympic athlete

Ali Abdallah Avelino is an Eritrean long-distance runner. He finished twelfth in 5000 metres at the 2002 African Championships. At the 2006 World Cross Country Championships he finished eighth in the long race, while the Eritrean team, of which Abdallah was a part, won the silver medal in the team competition. Abdallah participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He was eliminated in the first round of the 5000 metre event, finishing fifth in his heat.

Ibrahim Sultan Ali

Politician

Ibrahim Sultan Ali was born in Keren in March 1909 of a farmer/trader Tigre/serf from the Rugbat of Ghizghiza district in Sahel. He attended Quran School under Khalifa Jaafer of the Halanga of Kassala. In Keren, he attended technical training at Salvaggio Raggi and at Umberto School in Asmara. His only son Abdulwahab, lives in Paris. Ibrahim Sultan worked as chief in train station, served as civil servant in Keren, Agordat, Tessenei, Adi Ugri and even Wiqro near Mekele for six months. He had good command in speaking and translating Italian, Arabic Tigre and Tigrinia. From 1926 to 1941, he was head of Islamic Affairs section in the political affairs office under Italian rule.. Under the British, he served as head of Civil/Native Affairs Office till April 1943. He resigned and established a modern cheese plant in Tessenei which he ran till end of 1945. The Eritrean Chamber of Commerce was established that year and he became one of its senior staff members till end of September 1946. He represented Eritrea in front of the U.N. and was one of the leading and strongest members of the ELF. Ibrahim died on 1 September 1987 in Cairo, after having been sick for many years. He was buried on 5 September in Kassala, Sudan.

Hamid Barole Abdu

Man

Hamid Barole Abdu is an Eritrean writer. After studying literature in Eritrea, he moved to Modena in 1974, where he has worked as an intercultural expert and has published several articles about the migratory phenomenon. .

David Fjäll

Man

Carl Johan Dawid "David" Fjäll, born September 1, 1974 is a Swedish television presenter and sports journalist working for SVT. Fjäll started his career with advertising agency King. He began his television career at channel MediTV and later Fan TV. He significantly raised his profile in 2006 with football fans as the presenter for web-TV programs Eurotalk and Matchpuls at svenskafans.com. He was recruited to SVT for the hockey season 2007/2008, as the show host for the Euro Hockey Tour coverage. Since then he has been show host of ’’Tre Kronor Live’’, a show focusing on the Sweden men's national ice hockey team and a Monday night football magazine for the same channel. He has also worked for Norwegian channel NRK as an Ice hockey commentator during the 2010 Olympic Games. Outside of football and ice hockey, he has worked as a reporter covering cross-country skiing competition Vasaloppet in 2009. He was a reporter during the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. Fjäll also has a hosted a football show on SVT's website which premiered 10 October 2009. Autumn of 2009 he began to lead weekly children's sports program Lilla Sportspegeln. During the winter of 2009/2010, he was hosting the broadcasts from the Hockey Junior World Cup of at SVT24. In July 2010 he will host SVT's high profile football show Fotbollskväll.

Alemayo Kebede

Soccer Defender

Alemayo Kebede is an Eritrean footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for Adelaide Raiders in the FFSA Premier League.

Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo

Politician

Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo, commonly known simply as Sherifo, served briefly as the Head of State of Eritrea while the President was away. He joined the Eritrean Liberation Front in 1967. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs before his last posting as Minister of Local Government. During this time he was also appointed Chairman of the Committee to prepare the draft laws concerning the first round of National Elections and the Political Party laws. Once the drafts were completed the Chairman of the National Assembly, Isaias Afewerki summoned a report on the drafts. Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo was detained for his hazy role, and for orchestrating a coup d'état in 2001. He has been detained since 2001 following the G-15 affair. Dissidents suggest he has been detained for campaigning for democratic reforms, while official sources contend that his detention is a consequence of "discreetly...solicit[ing] support in government circles for ousting the president, and to seek US and UN intervention to end the war on Ethiopia's surrender terms" while being detained. Certain sources indicate that Sherifo died while in custody.

Attia Nasreddin

Man

Attia Nasreddin is a businessman of Eritrean origin who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Nasco Group in Nigeria.

Giovanni De Min

Athlete

Giovanni De Min is a retired Italian professional football player. He played for 3 seasons in the Serie A for Hellas Verona F.C. and A.S. Roma.

Yohannes Tilahun

Soccer Midfielder

Yohannes Tilahun is an Eritrean footballer. He currently plays for the Eritrea national football team.

Abraham Tedros

Soccer Defender

Abraham Tedros is an Eritrean footballer. He currently plays for the Eritrea national football team.

Jemal Abdu

Soccer Midfielder

Jemal Abdu is an Eritrean footballer who plays for the Adelaide Comets in the FFSA Super League.

Araya Desta

Politician

Araya Desta is an Eritrean diplomat. He has been the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the United Nations in New York since 2006. Araya was born in Senafe, and in 1969 received a Diploma in Weather Forecasting from the Stanmore Meteorological Training Centre in London. From 1972 to 1976, he was Head of the Meteorological Application Section of the Ethiopian Meteorological Services in Addis Ababa, and from 1963 to 1972, he served as Weather Forecaster for the Civil Aviation Administration in Asmara. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, in 1980, and a master’s degree in atmospheric physics at the University of Toronto, Canada, in 1985. Araya worked as a Computer Programmer for the Amoco Canada Petroleum Company in Calgary from 1980 to 1982. Between 1982 and 1991, Araya served on the Board of the Eritrean Relief Association in Khartoum, Sudan. From 1982 to 1993, he was Executive Director and Chair of the Eritrean Relief Association-Canada Board of Directors in Ottawa. Araya then served as First Secretary and Consul at the Eritrean Consulate Ottawa, Canada from 1993 to 1994. From 1994 to 2001, he was Minister's Counsellor of Eritrea’s embassy in Beijing, China, while simultaneously serving as a Permanent Representative to the United Nations for his country from 1997 to 2002. He then served as the Eritrean ambassador to the Nordic countries, residing in Stockholm, Sweden, from 2002 to 2005.

Ambesager Yosief

Soccer Defender

Ambesager Yosief is an Eritrean footballer who plays for Western Strikers in the FFSA Super League.

Sulaiman Addonia

Man

Sulaiman S.M.Y. Addonia is an author residing in London. He was born as the son of an Eritrean mother and an Ethiopian father in Eritrea. He spent his early life in a refugee camp in Sudan, following the Om Hajar massacre in 1976. In his early teens, he lived and studied in Saudi Arabia. He sought the asylum with his brother in London in 1990, and studied at the University College London. Sulaiman’s first novel called The Consequences of Love, is a love story set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Naser, a 20 year old refugee from Eritrea, falls in love when a veiled woman, who drops a note at his feet. She identifies herself by a pair of pink shoes, and the two embark on an epistolary romance, hoping to meet face to face. They live in fear that the religious police may learn of their illegal romance.

Michael Adonai

Man

Michael Adonai is a visual artist from Eritrea. He joined the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in 1977 where he studied Fine Art for three years, specializing in painting. He has participated in several art shows and claimed numerous prizes. His work has been shown throughout Eritrea, as well as Ethiopia, Sudan and Italy. His early work focused on the Eritrean War of Independence and the hardships endured by the people because of the war. His later work has focused on a traditional painting style in Eritrea known as Coptic art.

Aster Fissehatsion

Politician

Aster Fissehatsion is an Eritrean politician and an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience. She is the ex-wife of former Vice-President of Eritrea, Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo. She joined Eritrean People's Liberation Front in 1974 and became a leading figure in the struggle for independence in Eritrea. Following independence, she held the following positions: member of the Central Council of People's Front for Democracy and Justice; member of the National Assembly; Director of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; and Head of Personnel in the Anseba Zone. In 1996, Fissehatsion was dismissed from her job for criticising the increasingly authoritarian government, but was reinstated in 1999. In May 2001, she was one of 15 senior party officials, later known as the G-15, who published an open letter calling for "peaceful and democratic dialogue"; and calling on President Isaias Afewerki to adhere to correct parliamentary and governance procedures, hold internal party meetings, and keep the promises made by the PFDJ in respect of judicial reform. She was detained in September 2001 for being part of the G-15. She is reported to be suffering from a stomach ulcer.

Askalu Menkerios

Politician

Askalu Menkerios is the current Minister of Tourism and former Ministress of Labor and Social Welfare of Eritrea. She was born and raised in Eritrea. She is a member of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice.

Alamin Mohammed Seid

Politician

Alamin Mohammed Seid was born in Massawa, Eritrea. Alamin was involved in the Eritrean War of Independence since 1964 when he joined the Eritrean Liberation Front. He later joined what would become the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in 1970. During the War of Independence he was the head of the EPLF's foreign relations department. Alamin also served briefly as the Minister of Information and Culture. He and Isaias Afewerki were the only two members of the EPLF Executive Committee to be as part of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice's Executive Council at the Third Congress. At this Congress he was elected to the Secretary position, where he serves today.

Abune Yacob

Deceased Person

Abune Yacob was the second Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church. Born, raised, and ordained in Eritrea, initially he had been made an Archbishop of the Ethopian Orthodox Church, and had even served briefly as Locem Tenens of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church following the abdication of Patriarch Abuna Merkorios in 1991. However, following the split of the Eritrean Orthodox Church from the Ethiopian Church, he moved to the Eritrean synod as a native Eritrean. He succeeded Abune Phillipos, the first Patriarch of the church after the autocephaly of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church was recognised in 1994. He reigned only briefly before his death on 1 December 2003. He was succeeded by Abune Antonios. Template:Eritrea-reli-bio-stub

Negash Teklit

Coach

Negash Teklit is Eritrean football coach, currently a coach of Eritrea national football team. Selections U20 directed Eritrea to the end in CECAFA U-20 Championship in 2010, but lost the final of the U-20 National Teams Uganda.

Teklit Teweldebrhan

Olympic athlete

Teklit Teweldebrhan is an Eritrean middle-distance runner. He competed in the 1500 metres competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Gianfranco Rosi

Cinematographer

Gianfranco Rosi is an Italian director, cinematographer, producer and screenwriter. Rosi was born in Asmara, Eritrea; during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, at just 13 years old, he was carried to safety in Italy in a military plane, leaving his parents in Eritrea. After living as a youth at Rome and Istanbul, at 20 Rosi moved in New York to attend the New York University Film School. He made his film debut with Boatman, which was screened at various international film festivals, including Sundance Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. His film Below Sea Level won the Orizzonti Doc Award at the 65th Venice International Film Festival. At the 70th Venice International Film Festival his film Sacro GRA won the Golden Lion award.

Tesfalem Tekle

Soccer Midfielder

Tesfalem Tekle is a Eritrean footballer. He played for Eritrea internationals at the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Bruno Xavier

Actor

Bruno Xavier is an actor.

Ahmed Baduri

Man

Ahmed Tahir Baduri was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Eritrea between 2001 and 2005, replacing Haile Menkerios. Baduri was replaced by Araya Desta. He was born in Hargigo in 1946. After finishing elementary education in Hargigo, he travelled to Egypt where he completed secondary education. He joined Halab University in Syria and studied medicine but quit his studies in 1969 and joined the Eritrean Liberation Front. He then joined the People's Liberation Forces, PLF, that split from the ELF in 1970 and was a founding members of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front. He was a member of the central committee of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front. After the liberation of Eritrea, he served in the government in different capacities and was the head of the investment office and the chamber of commerce.

Ellen Nyman

Actor

Ellen Nyman is an actress.

Tekle Kidane

Athlete

is a former football player. In his early days, Tekle played among the best international football players with former National Football Team of Ethiopia. From 1954 to 1955, at the age of 15–16 years, he was a player in a Second Division team called Gageret Football Team. Then, in the years from 1956 to 1970 he played as a striker in the First Division with Telecommunication Football Team, which won the Ethiopian Nations Club Championship in 1958, 1969 and 1970. Tekle Kidane participated during that time in scoring many remarkable goals for his team. He also played as a member of the Ethiopian National Team when Ethiopia won its historical success by winning the Third African Cup of Nations, beating Egypt 4–2 after extra time. Tekle Kidane also played with Omedla Team in Addis Abeba for a couple of seasons, he also was a coach of Serae Football Team and Dahlak Shoe Factory Football Team in Asmara.

Letekidan Micael

Actor

Letekidan Micael is an actress.

Rehaset Mehari

Olympic athlete

Rehaset Mehari is an Eritrean long-distance runner. She competed in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics, placing 59th with a time of 2:35:49.

Tedros Teclebrhan

Theatre Actor

Alex Vallauri

Visual Artist

Ermias Wolday

Football player

Ermias Wolday is an Eritrean footballer who plays for Adelaide Comets in the FFSA Super League.

Nevi Ghebremeskez

Soccer Defender

Nevi Ghebremeskez is an Eritrean footballer who plays for the Adelaide Cobras.

Srafel Tesfamichael

Soccer Midfielder

Srafel Tesfamichael is an Eritrean footballer. He currently plays for the Eritrea national football team.

Asmeron Habte

Soccer

Filmon Tseqay

Soccer Midfielder

Filmon Tseqay is an Eritrean footballer. He currently plays for the Eritrea national football team.

Daniel Goitom

Soccer Goalkeeper

Daniel Goitom is an Eritrean footballer who plays for Red Sea FC Asmara.

Soccer Midfielder

Medhanie Redie is an Eritrean footballer who plays for Eritrea national football team.

Nasser Ahmed

Soccer Midfielder

Nasser Ahmed is an Eritrean footballer who plays for Eritrea national football team.

Ahmed Abdurhman

Soccer Midfielder

Ahmed Abdurhman is an Eritrean footballer who plays for Eritrea national football team.