The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), an Ethiopian-based political and insurgent group opposing Eritrea’s ruling regime, held a public conference in Semera-Logia city, the capital city of Afar Region, on 13 July.
The “Red Sea Afar People’s General Conference,” organized with support from affiliated youth, women, and civic associations, concluded with RSADO renewing its commitment to what it described as a “political and military struggle” against the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) regime in Eritrea. The group vowed to continue its efforts until the Red Sea Afar people’s right to self-determination, including the option of secession, is secured.
The event took place amid heightened tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, with RSADO warning that current escalations risk turning Afar-inhabited border areas into active conflict zones, displacing civilians and worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation.
In 2023 Addis Standard reported that the Eritrean Afar National Congress urged the Ethiopia government to support their territorial claims. The was shortly after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed floated the idea of gaining access to the Red Sea.
The role of Afar people, who straddle the borders of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, is since being widely discussed.
source: addisstandard
