Veteran freedom fighter Minister Semere Russom passes away

Asmara, 22 July 2026 – Veteran freedom fighter and seasoned diplomat Minister Semere Russom has passed away at the age of 83 following an illness.

Minister Semere joined the EPLF in 1976 and served his country and people in various capacities with exemplary dedication and distinction for almost half a century.

During the armed struggle for independence, veteran freedom fighter Minister Semere served as a representative of the EPLF Foreign Relations Department and later as Head of Intelligence Services at the EPLF office in Khartoum.

After independence, Minister Semere was appointed First Secretary of the Provisional Government of Eritrea in Sudan from 1991 to 1992; Director General of the American Desk at the Foreign Office from 1993 to 1996; Eritrea’s Ambassador to the United States from 1997 to 2003; Governor of the Central Region from 2003 to 2006; Minister of Education from 2006 to 2018; and simultaneously Minister of Education and Eritrea’s Ambassador to Ethiopia from 2018 to 2025.

Veteran freedom fighter Minister Semere Russom is survived by his wife and five children.

The funeral service of veteran freedom fighter Minister Semere Russom will be held on Friday, 24 July, at 10 a.m. at the Asmara Martyrs Cemetery.