Eritrea: Funeral service for Professor Asmerom Legesse

A funeral service for Professor Asmerom Legesse was held today at Asmara’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Asmara in the presence of Ministers, senior Government and PFDJ officials, religious leaders, and family members.

Prof. Asmerom was a prominent and illustrious anthropologist who produced important research on various themes during his tenure at the Universities of Harvard, Boston, Northwestern, Chicago, and others.

Prof. Asmerom served his country and people in various capacities over the past four decades. These include, among others, serving as Chairman of the U.S. branch of the Eritrean Relief Association from 1984 until independence; publishing well-researched documents on the atrocities perpetrated by the Ethiopian regime against Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin in 1998; documenting and exposing extensive gender-based violence committed by the Ethiopian army during its occupation of various areas, particularly in the Senafe sub-zone during the border war; and playing a significant role in foiling attempts to dehumanize Eritrea in 2015 through allegations of human rights violations.

Professor Asmerom Legesse passed away on 31 January at the age of 94 in the United States.

Expressing deep sorrow over the passing of Prof. Asmerom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its condolences to his family and friends.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.