Brigade Nhamedu ('Brigade Being ready to fight and sacrifice'[2] or 'Blue Brigade'[1]), also known as Brigade N’Hamedu) is an Eritrean diaspora-based group advocating against the government of Eritrea. It was established in 2022.[3][4] The group seeks to stop or disrupt diaspora gatherings that are supportive to Eritrea's authoritarian government,[5] through any means, including through intimidation and violence. The group claims that diaspora are subjected to pro-government propaganda and are pressured to pay taxes to the Eritrean government at these gatherings.[6][7] The end goal of the group is to end the government of Isaias Afwerki and his PFDJ party.[1]
.svg) The old flag of Eritrea, sometimes used by the group during demonstrations[1] | |
| Formation | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | activism |
| Leader | 'John Black' (alleged) |
The group has been linked to violent confrontations with pro-government diaspora groups in Canada, the US, Sweden, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands and Israel.[8][9][10] A pro-government[11] Eritrean diaspora group has called for prosecutors to denote Brigade Nhamedu a terrorist organization.[12]
History
editAccording to a UK-based representative of the group, the group was formed in mid-2022 in response to an Eritrean cultural festival organized by Eritrean government actors. According to the representative, Eritrean-government affiliated paramilitary were present at the festival, threatening anti-government activists.[1]
According to researcher Martin Plaut, the Brigade has organized itself in Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Britain, Germany, the USA, Finland, Israel, Australia and South Africa among others. They plan to hold elections for a democratic government-in-exile.[1] Members mainly organize themselves through social media such as PalTalk, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.[13]
Incidents
editOn 8 July 2023, several police officers were wounded after a group of Eritreans attacked an event at the Eritrea Festival in Giessen, Germany. The attack could not be conclusively linked to Brigade Nhamedu by the police.[9]
On 17 February 2024, members of the group violently confronted police and firefighters during a pro-government gathering in The Hague.[14] According to prosecutors, member deliberately attacked police, as they perceived police to protect the pro-government gathering.[15] 29 police officers were wounded during the confrontations.[10]
Three days later, one of the alleged leaders and co-founders, an Eritrean-Dutch man using the pseudonym 'John Black', was arrested in The Netherlands.[4][10][16] John Black claimed to have attempted to get the municipality to retract the pro-government gathering's permit. When this was not honored, he called for a 'Plan B' to stop the gathering. According to Dutch prosecutors, John Black had promoted texts claiming that the group does not bound itself to laws and is a movement of violence.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Plaut, Martin (2023-12-19). "Eritrea's active opposition: the rise of Brigade N'Hamedu". Martin Plaut. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ "Eritrea's repressive government criticizes exiles who attack overseas festivals as 'asylum scum'". WJBF. 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ "223 vragen over rellen Eritreeërs, Van Zanen beantwoordt ze 'zo gedetailleerd mogelijk'". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ a b "Eritrea-Festivals: Was hinter der Gewalt steckt". Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- ^ Plaut, Martin (2024). "Eritrea's foreign festivals: clashes within the exile community". Review of African Political Economy. 51 (179). doi:10.62191/ROAPE-2024-0009. ISSN 0305-6244.
- ^ "Beruchte Eritrese club wekt afschuw bij Tweede Kamer: 'Relschoppers direct het land uit'".
- ^ "Waarom voor- en tegenstanders van het Eritrese regime met elkaar botsen". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2024-02-18. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ Ahmed, Kaamil; Bryant, Miranda (2023-08-12). "Eritrean diaspora vow to continue disrupting festivals that 'promote dictatorship'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ a b "24-Jähriger muss sich in Gießen verantworten". 2024-07-09.
- ^ a b c "Rechtbank buigt zich over gewelddadige rellen Eritreeërs Den Haag". 2024-05-17.
- ^ "De ontwikkelingen in de Eritrees-Nederlandse gemeenschap" (PDF). Verwey-Jonker Instituut.
- ^ "OM doet onderzoek naar Eritrese Brigade Nhamedu na verwijt terroristische organisatie te zijn in aangifte". Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ Tewelde, Yonatan (2024). "Unveiling Dissent: Eritrean Diaspora Festival Turmoil and Social Media Mobilization". Brown Journal of World Affairs. 30 (2).
- ^ Haenen, Marcel (2024-02-18). "Deze groep zet alles op alles om de buitenlandse feestjes van het dictatoriale regime in Eritrea te verstoren". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ "Rellen Fruitweg waren vooropgezet plan". 2024-08-14.
- ^ a b "Rellende Eritreeërs voor de rechter: 'Wij doen niet aan de wet'". www.omroepwest.nl (in Dutch). 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2024-08-14.