GERMAN authorities launched a large-scale operation across six states on Wednesday, targeting an alleged extremist network accused of plotting to overthrow the Eritrean government and inciting violence within Germany.
According to The Associated Press (AP), the federal prosecutor’s office confirmed that 17 suspects are under investigation for founding or participating in the German branch of Brigade N’Hamedu, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by German prosecutors.
The group is believed to be part of a wider international network, with cells active across Europe. Prosecutors allege it has been organising and executing violent riots at events connected to Eritrea’s government, including high-profile clashes in the cities of Giessen and Stuttgart over the past two years.
19 locations searched, no arrests made
More than 200 federal and state police officers carried out coordinated searches at 19 properties across Hesse, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Rhineland-Palatinate. A related raid was also conducted in Denmark, according to German news agency dpa.
No arrests have been made yet, but authorities believe the suspects held senior positions in Brigade N’Hamedu’s German branch, which has been active since at least 2022. Prosecutors said the suspects legitimised the use of violence against both German institutions and law enforcement.
Pattern of violence in diaspora festivals
The organisation is alleged to have orchestrated riots at several pro-Eritrean government events. Prosecutors cited violent incidents at:
- A festival in Giessen on August 20 2022
- A follow-up event in the same city on August 7–8 2023
- An Eritrean association seminar in Stuttgart on 16 September 2023
Dozens of people were detained, and several police officers were injured—some seriously. In Stuttgart, 56 people were sentenced to prison over their involvement in the 2023 riot, though some are appealing their convictions.
The raids come amid increasing unrest linked to Eritrea’s divided diaspora. While some diaspora festivals celebrate Eritrean culture, critics say they function as propaganda tools for the authoritarian regime of President Isaias Afwerki. Human rights groups have long described Eritrea as one of the most repressive countries in the world.
Violence spills across Europe
Germany is not the only European country facing fallout from the Eritrean diaspora conflict. On the same day as the raids, a court in Sweden sentenced six people to jail for their roles in violent riots at a 2023 Eritrean festival. According to Swedish news agency TT, hundreds of protesters stormed the event, injuring more than 50 people and leading to nearly 140 arrests.
A senior member of Brigade N’Hamedu suspected of operating in both Germany and the Netherlands has also been sentenced by a Dutch court to several years in prison for his involvement in clashes in The Hague earlier this year.
As AP reports, European security services are now on alert as Eritrean exile violence spreads across borders, targeting both supporters of the regime and the institutions seen as enabling them.
