Former Eritrean diplomat Afwerki Abraha has died in the UK after contracting coronavirus, his family say.
The respected former liberation fighter, who was 71 years old and had been in intensive care in London for one month, did not have any underlying health issues, they say.
“Afwerki Abraha was a man who easily made the transition from a fighter to a professional and a loyal person,” his colleague and senior diplomat Haile Menkerios told the BBC.
Before joining the war of independence from Ethiopia, Mr Afwerki had studied political science and qualified as a chemist in Russia.
He went to the front in 1975 from Germany, where he had been living.
After the war he became the first Eritrean diplomat to be posted to Ethiopia.
He then moved on to London, where he was officially based from 1996 until 2001.
After his wife Fatina Ahmedin, an artist and former fighter, was knocked down by a car in London leaving her paralysed, the couple opted to stay in the UK.
One of his relatives told the BBC that Mr Afwerki was devoted to his wife’s care for 20 years “never leaving her alone”.
His friends too have described him as a very committed man who loved his family dearly.
Latest Stories
-
Paris Olympic hopes hang in the balance as Ghana’s 4×100 relay team drops baton at World Relays
1 hour -
Western Regional House of Chiefs commends Bawumia for his humility and respect for traditional authorities
2 hours -
#JustTurned18: First-time voters critical to deciding 2024 presidential election
3 hours -
Video: EC lied that the cost per voter in 2020 was $7.7; it was $12.5 – Bright Simons
3 hours -
Former IGP passes on
3 hours -
Ejisu by-election: Kwadaso MP gave money to EC officials out of goodwill – Ahiagbah
4 hours -
Millennium City: Land owner breaks silence on fatal shooting of soldier
4 hours -
Photos of 2024 Aboakyer Festival
4 hours -
#JustTurned18: I now have an opportunity to use my thumb to bring someone into power – Excited prospective voters
5 hours -
OSP acted as a whistleblower transferring Cecilia Dapaah’s case to EOCO – Sammy Darko
5 hours -
IMF calls for tariff adjustment for energy sector cost recovery
5 hours -
Samson’s Take: Journalists, block the pretentious idiots
7 hours -
Real Madrid crowned LaLiga champions after Barcelona’s defeat at Girona
7 hours -
Daniel Otting Awuah elected SRC President of Ghana School of Law
8 hours -
Lawrence Ati-Zigi signs St. Gallen contract extension
8 hours