Germany Raids Expatriate Eritrean Nationals Trying to Overthrow Government

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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.

Six German states launched raids 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 organisation.

Eritrea has long been regarded as one of the most repressive countries in the world, according to human rights organisations. 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.

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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. Germany and Sweden host tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots, many of whom have fled the country’s authoritarian regime.