A Global Wave of Youth Protest: Inspiration and Strategic Lessons for Eritrea’s Youth Movement

A Global Wave of Youth Protest: Inspiration and Strategic Lessons for Eritrea’s Youth Movement

From the streets of Madagascar to the squares of Georgia, a new generation has emerged. Youth-led uprisings, fueled by economic despair, systemic corruption, and political stagnation, challenge entrenched powers worldwide. For Eritrean youth—both in exile and suffering in silence at home—these movements are a powerful source of inspiration and a stark reminder of their uniquely repressive reality. While the spirit of defiance is universal, the strategies for change are not.

Uprisings from Madagascar to Nepal

Madagascar: On this resource-rich yet impoverished island, a "Gen Z" movement is demanding President Andry Rajoelina’s resignation over crippling water and electricity shortages and rampant corruption. Organized primarily via Facebook and using symbols from popular anime like “One Piece”, the protests have persisted despite a violent state response that has killed over 22 people. Demonstrations continued even after the government was dissolved.

Morocco: Under the banner of "GenZ 212," young Moroccans are protesting deteriorating public services, rampant youth unemployment, and misguided government spending—famously chanting, "We need hospitals more than football stadiums." Coordinated through Discord and TikTok, this leaderless movement presented a comprehensive list of demands, including free quality education, accessible healthcare, and job opportunities for young people. While the government has shown a willingness to engage in dialogue, it did so only after violent clashes and arrests were made.

Nepal: In a stunning success, the Nepalese youth toppled the government. Organized via Discord and using online polls to select interim leaders, they protested against endemic corruption and political nepotism. After security forces killed at least 19 protesters, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli resigned, leading to the formation of an interim government. This victory proves that sustained, leaderless pressure can achieve core political goals.

Georgia: Thousands have taken to the streets in sustained, peaceful, and daily protests against the government's decision to suspend the EU accession process. The protests, which coincided with municipal elections boycotted by a jailed opposition, represent a generational desire for a future rooted in democracy and the rule of law. Although the core political goal remains unmet, the movement has demonstrated remarkable resilience.

The Eritrean Case

The Eritrean youth movement shares the fundamental goals of its global peers: the rejection of the status quo and a demand for dignity, freedom, and a future. The galvanizing issues are severe: indefinite national conscription, often described as modern-day slavery; a total lack of political freedom; and a system so repressive that it drives thousands of people into exile each year.

However, the key tactical approach of other movements—organizing mass protests within their own countries—is largely impossible in Eritrea. The regime led by President Isaias Afwerki is one of the world's most repressive. Any public dissent is met with immediate brutal force, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance. Consequently, this movement is primarily driven by the massive Eritrean Diaspora.

Instead of street protests, the Eritrean opposition's strategy focuses on building alliances with foreign governments, international organizations such as the UN, and human rights groups to exert external pressure. It also uses social media to share testimonies, document human rights abuses, build global solidarity, and coordinate international advocacy campaigns.

Different Strategies for a Different Reality

The contrast is clear. Movements in Nepal, Morocco, and Madagascar operate in spaces where public dissent is possible, albeit risky. They can directly pressure their governments through mass mobilization.

The Eritrean movement cannot replicate this phenomenon. Its power lies in breaking the regime’s monopoly on the narrative, mobilizing the diaspora against the regime’s 2% levy, and placing its crimes against humanity in the global eye. The demands of Eritrean youth are comprehensive, reflecting three decades of grievance: an end to the PFDJ regime, a transition to good governance, implementation of the constitution, immediate abolition of indefinite national service, release of all political prisoners, respect for fundamental freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion, and creation of conditions to end the forced youth exodus.

The Implications

These ongoing global protests have profound implications for the Eritrean youth. The success in Nepal and sustained movements elsewhere testify that change is possible, even against formidable odds. This fuels the hope and resolve of Eritrean diaspora activists. Seeing youth in Madagascar and Morocco protest economic hopelessness and corruption reinforces that the Eritrean struggle is not isolated but is part of a global generational conflict against failed governance. The effectiveness of the leaderless, digitally driven model provides a viable structural blueprint for a diaspora-based movement that must operate without central or traditional leadership.

The Path Forward

The Eritrean movement's success depends on its ability to energize the diaspora, organize around a common platform with a minimum program, attract new generations through effective communication, and build a strong bridge with forces of change inside the country. Critical next steps include denying the regime its 2% diaspora tax and making a democratic transition a more compelling interest for global players than an unstable status quo.

In essence, youth uprisings across the globe illuminate a shared, generational shift. For Eritrean youth, they are a beacon, demonstrating that their desire for freedom is part of a global chorus. While their tactics are necessarily different, their spirit is the same: a clear-eyed rejection of a liberation-era government that has become an oppressive prison for the people. Their ultimate success will depend on their longevity and ability to outlast and outmaneuver a regime with no intention of ceding power to the people.