Three decades, one leader – how Eritreans had their hopes dashed

Three decades, one leader – how Eritreans had their hopes dashed

Once hailed as part of a new generation of reformist African leaders, Eritrea’s president, who recently marked 32 years in power, has long defied expectations. Isaias Afwerki now spends much of his time at his rural residence on a dusty hillside some 20km (12 miles) from the capital, Asmara. With the cabinet not having met since 2018, all power flows through him, and like a potentate, he receives a string of local officials and foreign dignitari…