ሎሚ ዕለት፡ 13/04/2017 ብመሪሕነት የማነ ገብርኣብ ( ማንኪ) ኣብ ሆላንድ ከካይዶ ጀሚሩ ዝነበረ ኣኼባ ህግደፍ (YPFDJ) ተሰሪዙ። The Eritrean conference in Veldhoven is off. The municipality has banned him because public policy can not be guaranteed. The decision was taken in consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the police and the conference center. The meeting was contentious and divisive within the Eritrean community in the Netherlands.
This afternoon and tonight there were riots in Veldhoven, which gathered about a hundred demonstrators. Youth harassed include a car. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested, including ”after the fighting which was thrown chairs,” said the police. People were out on the request. Who did not meet, was arrested.
The youth wing of the only permitted political party in Eritrea had organized the conference. There were some 500 to 600 people coming, it was expected. Also an advisor to the Eritrean president Isaias Afewerki was expected.
Reporter Gerri Eickhof said the atmosphere was grim. The demonstrators tried to prevent members could come on site. They had set up a blockade, but because the site has to participants were still several entrances inside, infuriating demonstrators.
The government said this week that the arrival of the Eritrean senior adviser, Yemane Gebreab is uncomfortable ”because a high official Eritrean Eritreans will speak who have left their country.” Mayor Jack Mikkers Veldhoven said the week that he had no opportunity to ban the conference because there were no indications that public order would be disturbed. Tonight he therefore concluded that the situation has to be there.
intimidation
The Eritrean regime organizes annual conferences like this in Europe, where Gebreab invariably is the keynote speaker. The president’s right hand is the founder of the ruling party, which only has been in power since 1993. Critics say that the meeting was intended to put pressure Eritreans, intimidate and extort money.
Every month an average of 5,000 to 6,000 people flee Eritrea. They say they are oppressed, pointing to the labor camps and the service which applies indefinitely and become as alleged by critics to slavery. In the Netherlands is home to about 20,000 Eritreans.
