I was deeply saddened and disheartened when I heard about the untimely death of my dear friend, Issac Ghebreselasie Amanios.

Issac was my beloved friend with whom I grew up with and attended the same Secondary school, San Gorgio in Mendefera. In 1974, we both joined the Eritrean Liberation Front. Issac was very intelligent and attentive from an early childhood. He would always speak his mind without too much care for social censure and disapproval.

The last time I met Issac in person was in 1997, in Asmara, when he was working as the managing Director of SOPRA. He kindly invited me to his house for dinner and introduced me to his wife Hiwet Yohanes and his children. After our last meeting of 1997, we were not lucky enough to meet up again. However, we tried our best to keep in contact by telephone. We would speak at lengths about our respective lives, past memories in school and national and international politics. Issac loved America and would often  tell me that ‘America is the land of opportunity’. The last time I spoke with him, we discussed about how nice it would be if we could arrange to see each other again in the near future. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be.

I would like to convey my deepest condolences to his wife Hiwet Yohanes, his children Bruk, Yosief and Milka, his brothers and sisters and other members of the family including Fessahatsion Solomon. During this difficult moment, my sincere thoughts and prayers are with them. Issac will be dearly missed and will always remain in our hearts.

May his soul rest in peace and may God give his family the strength to deal with their unimaginable grief.

With deepest sympathy

Gherezgher Araia

London

United Kingdom