Dissident Spotlight: Berhane Abrehe
Berhane Abrehe was Eritrea's former finance minister. He was imprisoned after criticizing the president and died after six years behind bars.
From 2000 to 2012, Berhane Abrehe was Eritrea’s finance minister. Eritrea only gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991, so Abrehe’s work included creating basic reporting systems so Eritreans could see how their government was spending their tax dollars.
Instead, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki stole tax revenue for himself, which required obscure accounting procedures. Afwerki removed Abrehe in 2012, but Abrehe wasn’t done fighting for a functional independent state. He published a two-volume book in 2018 that laid out his vision for a better Eritrea — including the country’s president-turned-dictator stepping down.
He was arrested a week after the book was published. Despite international outcry, he died in solitary confinement in August 2024.
Power Lies in Boring Details
The best practitioners of power secured it through channels that were unseen to others. For example, Josef Stalin made himself the only person who had access to all streams of intelligence from different Soviet intelligence sources. When he ordered an internal purge, it was assumed that Stalin knew something the other agents didn’t when in reality, people lived and died by his whims.
Government transparency isn’t just about ensuring taxpayer funds go toward programs instead of politicians’ bank accounts. It’s also about making sure that people don’t live and die by one politician’s mood.
Abrehe was among the best-placed people to build the foundation of a state that could deliver services to its people. The seemingly boring issues Abrehe was versed in made him a potent threat to the president-turned-dictator.
Many dissidents have hoped to gain power to implement much-needed changes in their oppressive governments, but few have been in positions to make those changes from a government’s beginning.
Abrehe’s story is a reminder of how rising to power isn’t enough. Once in power, politicians must govern. If a rival gains enough military power to misuse, the chances of strong governance plummet.