Abiy Ahmed’s Regime Fueling Destabilization Through Proxy Groups Against Eritrea

The Case of the So-Called “Eritrean Afar National Congress”

In yet another flagrant act of subversion, the Ethiopian government under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appears to be nurturing yet another destabilization front — this time in the name of the so-called “Eritrean Afar National Congress” (EANC), a fringe group claiming to represent Eritrean Afar but in reality largely composed of Ethiopian Afars and functions as a convenient mouthpiece for Addis Ababa’s regional sabotage strategy.

During a recent gathering at Semera University in Ethiopia’s Afar Region, Ali Mohammed Oumer, a Canadian returnee and spokesperson of the group, publicly declared preparations to launch a “resistance struggle” against the Eritrean government — not from within Eritrea, but from Ethiopian soil, with clear facilitation from local authorities. His words were not vague. The group has already opened an office in Semera and is reportedly preparing to open another in Addis Ababa.

This is not just rhetoric. This is state-sanctioned destabilization.

Ethiopia’s Use of Proxies: A Familiar Pattern

What makes this case all the more revealing is the now-familiar tactic employed by the Abiy Ahmed regime: weaponizing ethnic-based fronts to externalize internal political failures and justify militarized narratives under the guise of ethnic solidarity.

This is the same Ethiopian regime that quietly tolerates and enables the Brigade N’Hamedu, a group officially designated by Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor as a terrorist organization for its violent attacks against Eritrean diaspora events. Now, the regime is repurposing the so-called Eritrean Afar National Congress as yet another proxy — this time dressed in Afar identity — to stir instability and open a new front of agitation against Eritrea from Ethiopian territory.

Let’s be clear — Eritrean Afar citizens live as equal partners in the Eritrean nation. They have been part of every national endeavor, from the armed struggle to post-independence reconstruction. Attempts to isolate or fragment their identity are not only dishonest but insult the history and agency of the Afar people themselves.

The so-called “EANC” is not a grassroots movement. It is a European-registered diaspora outfit, created in Sweden in 2014, whose activities for years were limited to anti-Eritrean lobbying in Western capitals. Now, with open arms from Ethiopian authorities, it has found new geopolitical utility.

Why Now?

The timing is not a coincidence. The Abiy government is facing mounting internal discontent, economic collapse, and international scrutiny for its mishandling of peace agreements — particularly following the Pretoria Accord. It is now seeking external distractions and scapegoats to divert attention. As President Isaias Afwerki warned in his latest interview, “Those who rely on false flags and foreign blessings will drown in their own contradictions.”

By granting this group operational space and hosting roundtables aimed at critiquing Eritrea’s governance, Ethiopia is not facilitating “dialogue” or “Afari solidarity.” It is manufacturing crisis and grooming new pawns for proxy confrontation.

Eritrea’s Restraint — Not to Be Mistaken for Weakness

Eritrea has shown exemplary restraint in the face of repeated provocations, choosing diplomacy and strategic silence over inflammatory escalation. But let no one confuse Eritrea’s patience with passivity. The security and sovereignty of the nation are non-negotiable, and any threat — direct or outsourced — will be met with unwavering resolve.

The Eritrean Afar National Congress, like other manufactured opposition fronts, lacks both legitimacy and constituency. Its relevance exists solely in the narratives of hostile media and the cynical calculations of external actors.

Divide-and-Rule Is Dead

The era when foreign-backed exiles and NGO-manufactured identities could dictate the fate of African nations is over. Eritrea will not allow its unity to be toyed with by those seeking regional chaos. The people of Eritrea — Afar, Saho, Tigre, Tigrinya, Bilen, and beyond — have built their future together. And that unity remains unshakable, no matter how many offices open in Semera or which microphones are handed to professional dissidents.