***Look at the Photos of YPFDJ Holland Conference April 14-16, 2017***Berhane

Like all the unrelenting hostile challenges that are waged against Eritrea, the attempt to shatter the 13^th YPFDJ youth gathering in the Netherlands, offers great lessons for all. The changing tactics and strategies employed, the revelation of the clearer pictures of the main drivers behind the scene, and how the laws and the much preached values of “sacrosanct European values of freedom assembly” are practised.

The inconveniences caused to the youth gathering was perceived as a significant success and a cause for big celebration by the deployed foot soldiers. These group of people are dumb enough to view bankruptcy and failure as great achievement, however, the same can not be said about the handlers and their lords, who had wanted much more. The latest report – the summoning of the Eritrean ambassador to the Netherlands to appear before Dutch Ministers- demonstrates a great level frustration due to the utter failure of their plan.

Despite the inconveniences, the hostile challenge has provided great opportunity in the form of gaining experience and cementing a great solidarity and cohesion amongst the youth. It has also awaken the wider masses, and provided a nudge for the PFDJ members and for the organization to intensify the current efforts of consolidation of the organization.

The first tell-tale signs of the seriousness of the adventure emerged, when the Dutch government released statement, expressing “concern over a visit by an Eritrean Presidential Advisory”. Why was Dutch government releasing such a statement? It was not as though Mr Yemane Gebreab was visiting the country for the first time, nor was it his first time to hold a public engagement with Eritreans in the Netherlands.

Let us now look at the drama that was staged to justify the actions of the central and local government of the Netherlands . The first stage was for “the peace loving victims” of Eritrean government to report to the police that the YPFDJ conference was putting their lives in danger prior to the conference.

When a strange looking group of people released a strange and puzzling video message claiming that their lives were endangered by the 13^th YPFDJ Conference, it was wildly treated as much of a joke in the social media. This was, in fact, a very sinister first move that was orchestrated by the handlers.

This would be followed by another stage, in which the same “peace loving victims” would use force not only to disrupt the conference, but also cause maximum physical damage to the youth and Eritrean leadership.

It is at this stage of the drama, the main actors, were to emerge into the scene, and conclude the deal- namely banning of the 13^th YPFDJ Conference.

It did not take long for the staged drama to fall apart, and for the truth to emerge that the hostile action that was taken on the YPFDJ Conference, was a state sponsored move. It had not much to do with the Eritreans, who were used as the front face or justification for the action.

The drama failed for many reasons. The Dutch authorities could no longer play their role from behind the scene. The Mayor of the city released the address of the venue publicly, so as to allow the protesters to make their way to play the role assigned to them.

The protesters, however, failed miserable. The Dutch media turned up at the place before the protesters. Such a big presence of the national media by itself raises many questions. To make matters worst the leader of the protesters , Mr Kibrom Dafla, let the cat out of the bag in a big way In his call to his followers to make their way to the city, where the conference was being held, he directly put it what the Dutch authorities have asked of them in order to ban the conference in Eritrean language. Here is a translation of his message.

“Our protest is a precondition required for the closure of the conference. The administration of the city and the central government of Holland are waiting for our protest to close the conference. In order to stop the conference our protest is the only thing required. The newspapers and media are already flocking there. We must not miss this historic opportunity.”

What followed was, hard to believe and a disgrace to the Netherlands as a nation. Without any regard to the basic needs of the hundreds conference attendants, the Mayor of the city, followed by the politically motivated court ruling, not only did they ban the conference, they ordered the 650 people to leave the city by certain time- giving them only few hours to pack up and leave.

Do the Dutch authorities ban peaceful meetings only because a group of people illegally hold demonstration and make threats? This has demonstrated the sophistication and ruthlessness of the political system of the very advanced country that has 101 ways in applying the preached values.

 

The state supported hostile action on the 13^th YPFDJ conference, is an integral part of the long and the ongoing hostilities that have been waged against Eritrea. As it was revealed in the WikiLeaks’ cables, the weakening and the regime change strategies in Eritrea, were drawn by Ethiopian regime, the Weyane and the American officials.

When the direct hostile challenges including armed military invasions failed, the UN was the preferred method to achieve their goals. The USA used its power and influence to impose hostile actions including sanctions targeting Eritrea’s defence capability, the economy, the PFDJ, the Eritrean leadership and isolating Eritrea internationally.

While the above strategy is still at play at the UN level, the strategy that was witnessed last weekend, uses other friendly states such as the Netherlands to carry out hostile actions on Eritrea. One of the prime targets of the Weyane regime has been dismantling the Eritrean organization abroad.

The Weyane regime with the support of the USA attempted to ban PFDJ organizational activities outside Eritrea at the UN. In the name of UN monitoring group a fabricated report was produced, claiming the PFDJ organizational fund raising activities in Diaspora were directly funding the Somalian terrorist group Alshebab.

As our history testifies, Eritreans perform miracles in times of challenges. The banning of the YPFDJ youth gathering by the Netherlands Authorities, brought back memories for many of the PFDJ members, when Saudi Arabia authorities banned the EPLF organized masses as it preferred the ELF. The aim of the ban was to eliminate or weaken the organization, however, the creativity and the solidarity that was required to run activities underground with great risks, contributed in building a strong foundation that is still serving the PFDJ. Similarly the hostile action on the YPFDJ youth gathering will strengthen the YPFDJ and PFDJ at large.