Officials from the Australian federal police and government have held a meeting with members of the Eritrean community in an effort to prevent potential unrest at a cultural festival scheduled to take place in the western suburbs of Melbourne this weekend.
Events in Europe and North America in recent months have resulted in violence and arrests. This occurred when backers of the African government clashed with members of the pro-democracy group, Birged Nhamedu.
Many Eritreans living abroad view the festivals as a display of authority meant to intimidate those who have escaped the dictatorship of Isaias Afwerki.
Birged Nhamedu members in Australia have requested that the immigration minister, Andrew Giles, prohibit the festival, claiming it may involve interference from foreign politics. They have expressed their intention to peacefully demonstrate outside the festival, scheduled for Thursday, if it proceeds as planned.
According to Hatu Gebremedhin, a representative of the group, the cultural festivals were utilized as a means of propaganda. He asserted that the gatherings featured politically motivated displays of militarism and aggressive speeches aimed at those who had left the country since Afwerki assumed control in 1993.
During last year’s Melbourne festival, images were taken by Birged Nhamedu showing children dressed in military-style outfits and carrying what seem to be fake rifles.
The Eritrean Group Association of Victoria and the Eritrean National Communities Council Inc, who are responsible for organizing the festival, have previously been awarded grants from the Victorian government. This includes a grant of $4,000 in 2020. However, according to government records, no further funding has been provided since then.
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Attempts to communicate with both organizing groups for comment were unsuccessful. A request for comment from the Eritrean consulate in Melbourne went unanswered.
In the previous year, a high-ranking member of the governing party of Afwerki, known as the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, was given a visa to enter Australia. This party was implicated in a United Nations report for committing “pervasive and organized atrocities against humanity”. They were allowed to attend the festival.
When asked if the regime had given a visa to attend this year’s event, a spokesperson for Giles stated that the minister could not provide a comment on specific cases.
Inquiries regarding worries from the Eritrean population regarding the festival were directed to the Home Affairs department. Officials from that agency were in attendance at the Melbourne meeting on Tuesday, during which Australian Federal Police presented details on the country’s understanding of foreign interference and regulations pertaining to peaceful demonstrations.
According to an official statement from an AFP spokesperson, their community liaison officers frequently collaborate with various government and non-government organizations to facilitate communication between law enforcement and diverse communities regarding delicate issues.
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According to Birged Nhamedu, top officials in Afwerki’s government have been employed to intimidate, spread false information, and jeopardize the well-being and unity of the Eritrean diaspora worldwide.
In August, over 50 individuals sustained injuries and many were arrested following conflicts at a cultural festival in Stockholm celebrating Eritrean culture. In September, the Israeli police opened fire on Eritrean protestors in Tel Aviv as their demonstration against the festival became tumultuous.
There have also been reports of conflicts occurring at similar gatherings in the United States, Canada, and Germany.
Eritrea, a country that became independent from Ethiopia in 1991, has been referred to as the “North Korea of Africa”. In 2016, a United Nations Human Rights Council investigation concluded that there were valid reasons to believe that the government had engaged in acts of humanity.
The report found that Eritrean authorities have continuously, extensively, and systematically targeted the nation’s civilian population since 1991.
They have been and continue to be guilty of the offenses of enslavement, confinement, forced disappearance, abuse, other cruel actions, oppression, sexual assault, and homicide.
It is estimated that approximately 500,000 people, out of Eritrea’s total population of five million, have left the country since the PFDJ gained control. This regime has suppressed all opposition groups, restricted independent media, and implemented mandatory and indefinite military service for all citizens under the age of 40.
Source: theguardian.com
