Eritrea, Africa | The demonstrators occupy Oslo’s streets – this is the Eritrean conflict

On Friday, demonstrations are expected in Oslo among Eritreans in Norway. Kjetil Tronvoll is professor of peace and conflict studies at Oslo Nye Høyskole. He explains that there are two groups demonstrating.

One group are regime critics who demonstrate against the dictatorship and the autocratic president in their home country. They feel monitored by supporters who they believe the regime has in Norway.

The second group consists of people from Eritrean associations and denominations, who say they have nothing to do with the regime in Eritrea. At the same time, this group is accused of being supporters of the regime, and of having direct contact with them.

– Eritrea is characterized as the world’s most oppressive country, on a par with North Korea, to put it very simply. They have had massive human rights violations continuously for 25 years, says Tronvoll to Nettavisen, when we meet him at the demonstration on Friday morning.

He says that the country has been ruled by President Isaias Afewerki for the past 32 years. Afewerki took power in the country in the early 1990s.

A lot of people are waiting in the streets

The police state that they expect 1,000 demonstrators in Oslo’s streets.

In connection with the demonstrations, they have also sent out an e-mail to everyone in the business world in the surrounding area. There they write:

«Both parties have informed the police that they want peaceful demonstrations in Oslo on 26 April, but that they fear violence from the other party. (…) There is great uncertainty about how the events will be carried out, but the situation could potentially lead to clashes», it says in the e-mail.

The fear is based on previous clashes between the parties in other parts of the country, including in Bergen, “which has led to serious and widespread violence, including against the police».

In Bergen, stones were thrown, and heavily equipped police used tear gas against the demonstrators. In addition, they closed several streets, and the light rail and car traffic were prevented from being able to drive as normal.

Police inspector and business contact in the police Christina Rooth says that the fear is based on previous experiences, and has sent the business community a long list of points for preparations the actors in the area can take before the demonstrations.

In the e-mail that has been sent out, the police have also written:

“We ask that the business community and others who may be affected take in objects and the like they have on the streets”

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– Perpetual war mobilization

Tronvoll also says that Eritrea is a one-party state. Only the ruling party is considered legal and the country has no civil society or free press either.

At the same time, the country is characterized by war mobilization.

– They are on a continuous, perpetual war mobilization. Eritrea has been at war with all its neighboring countries since they became free from Ethiopia in 1993, explains Professor Tronvoll.

And continues:

– It is a perpetual military service and all these factors have meant that Eritrea is the country in Africa that has produced the most refugees compared to its population. There are several hundred thousand who have fled the country in the last 20 years, he says.