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Eritreans have suffered under a horrific regime, led by dictator Isaias Afwerki, since the country gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993.

Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace agreement in 2018. However, despite the absence of war, no steps were taken to democratise Eritrea and no elections have been held in the country since independence.

Isaias has started wars with several neighbouring countries, which have been used as an excuse to repress Eritreans. People from 18 to 50 years of age have been conscripted into the army and used as forced labour, including for foreign mining companies.

Senait Habtemariam, from the Eritrean-Australian pro-democracy community, spoke to 91������̳ about the situation.

“For the past 30 years, people have been suffering gross human rights violations, including forced and indefinite conscription, forced labour and [there are] prisoners of conscience being detained for over 20 years without trial.”

Senait said the situation is so dire that many Eritreans have already fled the country and those seeking to leave “risk being shot and killed, trying to escape”.

Senait is part of Eritrea’s “Blue Revolution”, a global Eritrean pro-democracy movement advocating for human rights in Eritrea. “We want the same freedom that we enjoy in Australia to be had by our people in Eritrea.”

Pro-democracy activists are calling for a boycott of events organised by the regime’s embassies and loyalists in countries overseas, including Australia, that are billed as “cultural festivals”, but are actually propaganda events of the regime.

Members of the Eritrean community in Australia have launched a against one such event due to take place in the Naarm/Melbourne suburb of Altona North on January 11‒12, where they are “dividing the community, causing social disharmony as well as raising funds so that more people can be oppressed, by enabling the dictator,” Senait said.

The petition calls on the Australian authorities to address the “politically motivated events masquerading as community celebrations”.

A similar event, held last January, “devolved into violent clashes” and 10 people were hospitalised, according to .

Senait said they want to stop the repression of members of the Eritrean community in Australia by the regime.

“Not only is the regime committing gross human rights violations in Eritrea … but they also commit these crimes … through the Eritrean consulate, through the regime-affiliated organisations and communities.”

[Sign the petition at .]