Mesfin Hagos
Mesfin Hagos is an Eritrean politician who was one of the founding members of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.
After Independence he was appointed to become Eritrea’s first Minister Minister of Defense during the 1990s. In 1995 he stepped down from his post and became the Regional Administrator of the Southern Region. During the arrest of the G-15 group Mesfin was abroad for medical reasons. He has since lived in exile and sought political asylum in Germany in 2013, where he lived as of 2020.
Childhood and education
Mesfin was born in the small village of Azien, north of Asmara, on 21 November 19, 1947. He went to secondary school in Debre Berhan and attended the Addis Ababa University until 1966.Rebel fighter
Mesfin was a founding member of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in 1973. Before founding that organization, he had joined the Eritrean Liberation Front in 1967 as an ordinary member. He eventually became Deputy Commander of ELF Zone 5.Mesfin Hagos left the ELF in 1970 with Isaias Afwerki, Major General Asmerom Gerezgiher, Solomon Weldemariam, and Tewelde Eyob. Hagos was a part of the founding leadership of the EPLF. Mesfin Hagos briefly served as the Chief of Staff in the EPLF. He was one of the commanders of the Battle of Af'abet that destroyed the backbone of the Ethiopian army.