Date: Tuesday, 20 February 2024
The Eritrean ambassador to the Netherlands, Negassi Kassa Tekle, does not take any responsibility for the riots in The Hague on Saturday evening. He made that clear in a Nieuwsuur broadcast on Monday evening. The ambassador believes it is up to the Dutch authorities and police to punish the rioters and ensure that they adhere to the rules from now on.
Tekle finds it unacceptable that rioters attacked officers, but at the same time places the responsibility for tackling the rioters on the police. The ambassador denies that Saturday’s riots are a political issue. He dismisses the group that started the riots as “illegal people who are only concerned with disrupting and preventing Eritrean gatherings.” According to Telke, they are not part of the Eritrean community “even though they claim they are.” He adds that the embassy has no control over the group.
It was also discussed why Tekle still operates from Brussels and has not come to The Hague. The ambassador said that he plans to come to the Netherlands but does not yet know exactly when. 
