Eritrean Diaspora Youth: Be Careful of the Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Short Message:

Dear Eritrean diaspora refugee youth. You went through untold hardships, misery and life and death situations to arrive in Europe, Canada, and the United States. If you are ready to use it the western world provides an ample opportunity for self-improvement and change. Go to school, work hard to earn a living, and support your families at home and of course define your future. No government can be toppled by throwing stone at your fellow Eritrean compatriots. Please be aware that as resident of the western world, every person including those ardent Eritrean government supporters have the right to support whoever they want to support as long as they do not cross the law of the country where they reside.

Remember “Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins”. When you try to cross that boundary, the law catches on. Those who are pushing you from behind do not cross the law themselves. Their job is to use you as a human instrument to achieve their economic and political objectives. Whatever level of hatred you may have against the Eritrean government it cannot be resolved by violence against fellow Eritreans. Violence will only burn you and your future.

Historical Background

The future of Eritrea and Its youth has been challenged many times. On 15, November 1962 when the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie disbanded the Federation and annexed Eritrea, the youth flocked to the war front and joined the struggle to liberate Eritrea from Ethiopian occupiers. The Eritrean youth paid dear price to liberate their country in 1991. Although the struggle for independence achieved its objective, the 30 years bloody war and arduous journey brought Eritrea 50 years back. The human and economic cost was staggering for a small country like Eritrea to bear.

When Eritrea officially became an independent country on May 24, 1993, it seemed the future was bright and even those who fled the country, due to the Ethiopian occupation, were returning home. Yet the hope was short lived. Eritreans were once again forced to defend their country against the Tigray Liberation Front (TPLF) led invasion against Eritrea in May 1998. This war was different because it was instigated by the TPLF that was considered as the offspring of the Eritrean Liberation Front (EPLF). Again, the TPLF invasion against Eritrea consumed tens of thousands of Eritrean youths and dismantled about one third of Eritrean population from their villages.

After the war ended, the government of Eritrea and the then TPLF led Ethiopian Government agreed to adjudicate the boundary dispute in the court law.  The Eritrea and Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) gave its ruling on April 13, 2002, and everyone was waiting for the demarcation of the border to start. Unfortunately, once again TPLF rejected the decision and dashed the prospect of peace in the Horn of Africa. Later TPLF continued its saber rattling, including conducting attacks deep inside Eritrean territory and targeting Eritrean Mining Operations with newly acquired missiles. Accordingly, the Eritrean youth were forced to stay in the trenches for close to 20 years.

TPLF and Western Intelligence agencies used such difficult situation as an opportunity to drain Eritrea’s youth from their country. TPLF’s Radio and Television stations continued telling the Eritrean youth if they came to Tigray, they would be resettled to the western world outrightly. Even Eritrean cattle herders as young as 11 years old left their cattle at the field and crossed to Tigray to be resettled to Europe, the US and Canada. Deceived by TPLF’s propaganda machine thousands of Eritrean youths ended up in TPLF managed refugee camps in northern Ethiopia and became the cash cows of TPLF extortion machinery. To show its success in dismantling Eritrean youth from their country TPLF suddenly made Tigray refugee camps a pilgrimage to western high profile officials and a means to ask for more financing.

The worst part of the sinister scheme against the unsuspecting Eritrean refugees was TPLF stole their identity and used it to resettle Tigrayans to western countries. Such despicable practice of the TPLF highlights the mafia character and cruelty of the clique. Not being aware of their identity was stolen and a Tigrayan had already been resettled in their name, many Eritreans wasted their youth life in refugee camps in Tigray. However, as the waiting time became endless they lost hope and again trekked to Sudan to be robed, raped, and killed by cruel human traffickers. Among those who arrived in Libya many lost their lives in the dangerous sea journey to Europe. Those who were lucky ended up in Europe and some in the US and Canada. When close to 350 refugees from many African countries, including Eritrea, lost their lives in the ship wreckage in Lampedusa TPLF called the African union to organize a candle lighting Vigil for them and the ceremony was held in the African Union compound in Addis Ababa. Yes, the Wolf acting out in a Sheep clothing. In the mind of the TPLF clique anything that masks realty or gives the clique a political cover is worthy of pursuing.

When Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in Ethiopia in 2018, again there was hope that peace would prevail, and the remaining Eritrean refugees would return to their country. However again the TPLF initiated a power struggle with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and refused to allow the demilitarization of the Ethio-Eritrea border. In fact instead of encouraging Eritrean refugees in Tigray refugee camps to return to their country, the TPLF leader openly invited Eritrean youth to come to Tigray. When TPLF attacked the Ethiopian Northern command that was stationed on the Tigray region on November 4th, 2020, the Eritrean refugees became the primary target of the Tigray militia and paramilitary groups. Many were robed, raped, killed, and forced to act as carriers to the TPLF army. TPLF kept the remaining refugees as hostages and most of them perished of hunger and lack of medicine.

The sad story of Eritrean refugees did not end in Tigray. During its 27 years reign in power in Ethiopia the TPLF was using Eritrean refugees as an instrument to overthrow the Eritrean government. Accordingly, the TPLF had already recruited the refugees and created an opposition group for each of the nine  ethnic groups in Eritrea. Again, the purpose was to divide Eritreans and make them fight each other like what we are currently witnessing in today’s Ethiopia. To advance such sinister agenda, supported by the then TPLF led Ethiopian Embassies, the tentacles of TPLF created ethnic based Eritrean opposition groups spread to the Eritrean diaspora. The project to divide the Eritrean diaspora was fully funded by the TPLF. Media personalities were created, and the so-called Eritrean opposition media spewed their ethnic poison on the Eritrean youth.  The TPLF funded so called Eritrean opposition media told the unsuspecting Eritrean youth that their enemy was “Eritreanism” and were pushed to target those who called themselves Eritreans. The TPLF propaganda machine worked hard to convince its messengers that there was no Eritrean identity. Eritreans were told their identify was their “ethnicity”. The objective of the propaganda was to divide the Eritrean diaspora youth based on their ethnicity and align them with the ethnic armed opposition groups created in Tigray. Such action fits to the often made claim that TPLF is not only a danger to Ethiopia but also to the horn of Africa.

When TPLF attacked the Ethiopian Federal Army based in Tigray on the night of November 4, 2020, the so called Eritrean opposition Media Personalities formerly created and funded by the TPLF joined the “Tigray Wins” slogan and openly stood against the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments. As a continuation to their sinister agenda, they organized the Eritrean diaspora youth into gang groups whose aim was to attack any Eritrean who was believed to participate in Eritrean government sponsored events. Those gangsters were made of Tigrayan’s who were born and raised in Eritrea and Eritreans who were recruited by the TPLF sponsored groups. Many of the TPLF funded so called Eritrean opposition media started to patronize expensive European hotels and pledged to raise money for the gangsters who terrorized Eritrean communities in Europe. Accordingly, many elderly men, women and children who went to the community festival in Giessen, Germany were brutally attacked.

The hijacked Eritrean refugee youth did not understand the consequence of their actions. In the western world attacking women, elders and children who were minding their own business is a criminal activity.  Accordingly, many innocent Eritrean youth who failed to understand the consequences of their actions became victims. The recent bad news that is coming from Europe is the ultimate consequence of the TPLF sponsored ignorant and greedy so called Eritrean opposition media personalities. Many were thrown to prison, fired from their work and their records blemished forever. In the western world once you are classified as a violent criminal your life is messed up. Those young Eritreans who arrived in Europe and hopped to live a decent life were hijacked by the cruel TPLF trained and funded Eritrean media personalities and activists for their destructive agenda.

The truth is the so called TPLF trained Eritrean Media personalities and activists are smart enough not to cross the law themselves. None of them were seen in the areas in Europe where the violence occurred. On the back of the Eritrean youth, they were increasing their YouTube viewers and off course enriching their pockets. Many of the so called opposition media personalities and activists are based in the US but none of them were seen to organize gangs of Eritrean youth in the United States. The reason is they perfectly know what that means and the severe consequence against them.

Conclusion,

It has been a while since TPLF’s interference in the business of the diaspora Eritrean community has been crossing many red lines. Now it is time for every diaspora Eritrean to fight back and bring those who are misled by the enemy propaganda to their right place. Eritrean diaspora refugee youth in Europe has become the target of irresponsible and greedy youtubers who have no concern to the wellbeing of the youth except the money they generate from TPLF and YouTube. Those modern day human traffickers who claim to be Eritreans, sooner or later, will be made accountable for their actions. Until then, to register their opposition to these YouTube sites that preach violence, Eritreans need to visit them and press the dislike button.

Eritrean diaspora refugee youth need guidance and support on how to assimilate to the society they are resettled at. That includes an awareness of the rules and regulations of the countries where the Eritrean youth refuges reside. To curve the effect of loneliness and mental trauma Eritrean communities in Europe should step up their effort in organizing social programs that will intermingle Eritreans from every social walk life. Eritrean professionals in Europe and other parts of the world need to study the problem thoroughly and play their part to remedy it. Eritrean technology professionals should identify those greedy modern day licensed human traffickers and report them to YouTube and relevant authorities in these countries. Such initiatives will not be welcomed by the modern day licensed human traffickers. Yet there is no choice other than to fight back using every possible means.

Awet NeHafash and Eternal Glory to our Martyrs.