Riots break out between rival Eritrean groups in the Netherlands

Cars have been set on fire as rioting broke out between two rival groups of Eritreans in the Netherlands on Saturday.

Officers used tear gas in an attempt to quell the unrest in The Hague, as rioters torched police cars and a bus.

Images from the scene showed vehicles in flames and dozens of men in the street, some throwing rocks.

“It got seriously out of hand,” The Hague municipality spokesman Robin Middel said.

He said a group loyal to Eritrea’s government was holding a meeting when the venue was attacked by Eritreans who oppose the country’s government.

Police spokeswoman Kristianne van Blanken said she could not say if anybody was injured or if any rioters were arrested.

Dozens of people, including at least 26 police officers, were injured during unrest at an Eritrean cultural festival in the German city of Stuttgart in September last year.

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A fight the same month between Eritrean government supporters and opponents in Tel Aviv led to violent street confrontations among African asylum-seekers and migrants.

Months earlier, a clash at an Eritrean festival in the German city of Giessen left 22 police injured.

Tens of thousands of people have fled Eritrea for Europe, many claiming they were mistreated by the government of President Isaias Afwerki.

The conflicts underscore deep divisions among members of the Eritrean diaspora between those who remain close to the government and those who have fled to live in exile and strongly oppose him.

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