Former Minister dies in prison

Berhane Abrehe, the former Eritrean Finance Minister and fierce critic of the country's administration, has died in prison, his family confirmed. The 79-year-old was Eritrea's longest serving Minister of Finance, but he was removed from his role in 2012 following clashes with President Isaias Afwerki. Six years later, he was jailed after releasing a book where he described Afwerki as a ‘dictator’ who needed to step down. His family told BBC News that the authorities, who rarely confirm the deaths of senior officials in custody, had notified them of Berhane's death. Afwerki has ruled the East African country, without holding national elections, since winning the independence war against Ethiopia in 1991. Born in Eritrea in 1945, Berhane earned an MA degree in economics in the US before joining the struggle for independence from Ethiopia.

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