German Authorities Target Eritrean Opposition Group in Nationwide Raids

By Agencies

In a sweeping operation across six German states, authorities launched raids on Wednesday targeting individuals accused of being part of an international network seeking to overthrow the Eritrean government. The German federal prosecutor’s office has identified 17 suspects as members or founders of the German branch of Brigade N’Hamedu, a group it defines as a terrorist organization.

Eritrea has long been regarded as one of the most repressive countries in the world, according to human rights organizations. This has led to divisions within its diaspora, sometimes resulting in violent clashes. Prosecutors allege that the German offshoot of Brigade N’Hamedu has been active since at least 2022 and has orchestrated violence at events linked to the Eritrean government.

Authorities point to incidents such as the violent riots at Eritrean festivals in Giessen on August 20, 2022, and August 7-8, 2023, as well as disturbances at an Eritrean association seminar in Stuttgart on September 16, 2023. These events saw multiple police officers injured, some seriously, and dozens of protesters detained. The state interior minister of Baden-Württemberg stated that 56 individuals received prison sentences following the 2023 Stuttgart riots, though some verdicts are still under appeal.

Prosecutors further allege that some group members view violence against German state institutions and law enforcement as justified. In an effort to dismantle their operations, over 200 federal and state police officers conducted searches at 19 properties across Germany, spanning Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Rhineland-Palatinate. A simultaneous raid took place in Denmark, though no arrests have been reported.

In a related development, authorities noted that a senior figure within Brigade N’Hamedu, who operated in both the Netherlands and Germany, was recently sentenced by a Dutch court to several years in prison for his role in violent clashes in The Hague in February 2023. In accordance with German privacy laws, the identities of the accused have not been disclosed.

The unrest surrounding Eritrean diaspora events is not confined to Germany. On Wednesday, a Swedish court sentenced six individuals to prison for their involvement in violent riots at an Eritrean cultural festival in 2023. Five received five-month sentences, while one was sentenced to six months. The riots, during which hundreds of anti-government protesters stormed the festival, resulted in over 50 injuries and nearly 140 detentions. Similar attacks on Eritrean diaspora festivals have occurred in Europe, North America, and Israel in recent years.

Germany and Sweden host tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots, many of whom have fled the country’s authoritarian regime. Exiles and opposition groups frequently accuse Eritrean government-affiliated events of serving as propaganda tools and financial conduits for the ruling regime in Asmara.