Situation in Eritrea (per 4 September)
- Violent clashes took place at Eritrean festivals organised by the supporters of Eritrea’s ruling party, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), in Tel Aviv (Israel), Bergen (Norway), and Oberuzwil and Zurich (Switzerland) this weekend.
- Over 150 people were injured, including some serious injuries, in Tel Aviv after clashes erupted at a PFDJ-organised celebration of the 30-year rule of Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki on Saturday. Police intervened, including by shooting live rounds to break up the fighting, hitting at least three people.
- The Eritrean community warned the Tel Aviv police up front that there would be violence at the event, unsuccessfully asking them to cancel it.
- The protests against the event in Tel Aviv started peacefully, and appeared to turn violent as stones were thrown at the protesters, who threw them back, videos circulating on social media appear to show.
- Eritrean diaspora warned in advance that a PFDJ-allied militia group, Eri-Mekhete, had been preparing and training in the weeks in advance for the event in Tel Aviv.
- Two men wearing Eri-Mekhete T-shirts were seen and photographed holding a gun. An Israeli hospital reported 11 gunshot injuries.
- One asylum seeker states he was shot by the Eritrean paramilitary Eri-Mekhete in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
- Videos show the training of the Eri-Mekhete paramilitary, instructed by the PFDJ before the festival in Tel Aviv. The videos have not yet been verified. Observers call for the paramilitary to be investigated.
- Eri-Mekhete is linked to other violent militia movements organised by the PFDJ abroad, such as Eri-Blood, 4G and 52, observers state.
- The Tel Aviv police closed all businesses of refugees in the Neve Shaanan neighbourhood, stating that these places are sources of incitement.
- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced a special ministerial team which will “evaluate ways to handle infiltrators who violate the law” in response to the Eritrean festival protests.
- “It is hard for me to understand why we would have a problem with those who declare that they support the regime; they certainly cannot claim refugee status,” Netanyahu stated.
- The clashes in Tel Aviv put a spotlight on the obscured security elements of the diplomatic relations between Eritrea and Israel, states newspaper Haaretz.
- Another PFDJ festival organised in Switzerland, Oberuzwil, was cancelled by the organisers. Witnesses had warned the police that the PFDJ militia Eri-Blood would be present at the festival.
- PFDJ-supporters travelled instead to a city just above Zurich to move the festival, which is where violent clashes broke out. Police intervened.
- Clashes were reported from Bergen, Norway, where protesters were demonstrating against another festival. Peaceful protest resumed in the afternoon, with protesters standing side-by-side with police.
- The protest movement against the PFDJ-organised festivals worldwide started to gain traction during the war in Tigray, when the festivals promoted hate speech and violence against Tigrayans and glorified violence by the Eritrean army, which played a key role in violence against Tigrayans in the war.
- CORRECTION – Situation report 31 August: Adem Osman, Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Eritrea in Geneva, Switzerland is reported to have defected and asked for asylum. It is not confirmed in which country he has applied for asylum.
Situation in Sudan (per 4 September)
- At least 25 civilians were killed in attacks in Khartoum over the weekend. An airstrike in the Kalakla al-Qubba in the south-west of Khartoum killed about 20 people.
- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) used warplanes to bomb areas in Nyala, South Darfur, controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It is the first time SAF has used aerial bombardments in Nyala.
- SAF commander al-Burhan arrived in South Sudan for a meeting with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir.
Refugee Situation (per 4 September)
- Women fleeing from Sudan to South Sudan report systematic sexual violence by armed men on the road to South Sudan in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
- The UN Refugee Agency and 64 humanitarian organisations appealed for $1 billion to provide aid and protection for refugees fleeing Sudan to neighbouring countries. 1.8 million refugees are expected to have fled by the end of 2023.
Situation in Tigray (per 4 September)
- Displacement in Amhara-controlled areas of western Tigray continues, with 1,436 displacements reported last week.
- Many IDPs arriving at the Endebaguna IDP centre report being imprisoned and tortured, among others in Maiytsebri, Dima, and Tselemti, and had to pay ransoms of 135,000 birr [approx. 2200 EUR].
- The humanitarian situation at the Endebaguna IDP centre is dire, as some IDPs have not received aid for over a year; Five people have been officially confirmed to have died of hunger since March 2023.
International Situation (per 4 September)
- The Lundin war crimes trial will start in Sweden on 5 September. The case alleges that Ludin Oil’s former Chief Executive Ian Lundin and former VP Alex Schneiter are complicit in war crimes in Sudan.
- Between 1999 and 2003, the oil company paid the Sudanese army and allied militia to protect the company’s oil operations. This led to the military and militia leading violent operations that displaced around 200.000 people and killed 12.000 people in southern Sudan.
- PAX and Global Idé have launched a podcast series that will follow the trial.
- Human rights organisations expressed concern over the early termination of the mandate of the African Union’s Commission of Inquiry into the situation in the Tigray region, which happened in June 2023.
- The UN Human Rights Council should establish an independent mechanism on Sudan, state 114 Sudanese, regional and international organisations.
Links of interest
Over 150 hurt in hours-long Tel Aviv chaos between rival Eritrean migrant groups, cops
Facebook: Eri-Mekhete training
Tel Aviv Riots Put Spotlight on Israel’s Covert Ties With Eritrea’s Dictator
Zurich police intervene after clashes between groups of Eritreans
Eritrea-demonstrasjon ble til slagsmål i Bergen sentrum
Event by the Eritrean (Young) People’s Front for Democracy and Justice glorifying violence and hatred cancelled in Rijswijk
Sudan: at least 25 civilians killed in weekend attacks on Khartoum
South Sudan: Response to the Sudan Crisis Situation Report No. 9 (as of 1 September 2023)
$1 billion now required to support millions fleeing Sudan conflict as needs soar
Displacement, horrific violence continue in western Tigray as Amhara forces maintain control
Sudan’s top general arrives in South Sudan for talks with its president on the war
Podcast: Lundin War Crimes Trial
Human rights groups express concern over AU’s premature termination of Tigray Commission’s mandate
Sudan: Joint Letter Calling for Independent Mechanism
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Martin Plaut 