Human Rights Concern–Eritrea (HRCE) is gravely concerned by statements made during a recorded TikTok live broadcast by Ms Mehrawit Mebrahtu Aibu, also known as Monica Mebrahtu and Monicawit Hegdefawit, who resides in Norway.
Speaking from Norway, Ms Aibu pressures Eritrean businesspeople and other members of the diaspora in Dubai and Uganda to contribute financially to a campaign supporting Ms Senit Habteab, an Eritrean contestant participating in the Miss World 2026 competition in Vietnam. Although the campaign involves purchasing votes, Ms Aibu presents financial support as a national obligation rather than a voluntary choice.
MILITARY LANGUAGE AND THREATS TO LIFE
Ms Aibu instructs her audience to regard the campaign as the “fifth offensive”, a reference to the military offensives during the 1998–2000 Ethiopia–Eritrea border war. She states:
“But for me, for Monicawit, this is the fifth offensive. It is the fifth offensive. Any wealthy person who does not enlist in this campaign, and any Eritrean who does not enlist in it, will answer for it with their life. You will answer for it with your lives, because this is history.”
The word translated as “enlist” carries a military meaning, reinforcing her portrayal of the campaign as a national mobilisation rather than a voluntary fundraising initiative.
Ms Aibu specifically names an individual identified as Muse, also known as Wedi Zeweldi, and addresses wealthy Eritreans in Dubai and Eritreans in Uganda. She criticises their previous failure to support fundraising initiatives, warns that their non-participation will no longer be overlooked and declares:
“Therefore, Monicawit Harekawit is issuing a strict, strict, strict order.”
She later states:
“This is your obligation. If you are an Eritrean citizen and you take your wealth with you, if you pack it all up and leave without paying a price for your country, then tomorrow morning you will be going with a metre of cloth in your own hands.”
In the Eritrean cultural context, the reference to “a metre of cloth” may be understood as referring to cloth used to wrap or bury a deceased person. Considered alongside the preceding warning that those who do not participate will “answer for it with their lives,” it may reasonably be perceived as implying death or other grave consequences.
Ms Aibu also uses further military imagery:
“But we have now mobilised so that you do not bring us to that point. Some are also saying, ‘Take up your sniper rifles.’ Therefore, come, shoot and put the votes in.”
Although the references to sniper rifles and shooting appear to be metaphorical language encouraging people to cast votes, they intensify the threatening nature of a message that names individuals, issues a “strict order,” demands money and warns of consequences for refusing.
AN ESCALATING PATTERN
This recording follows Ms Aibu’s TikTok live broadcast of 31 August 2026, during which she named Eritrean artist Saron Bereket and warned that she would be subjected to an organised online targeting campaign if she did not participate.
Ms Aibu also told Eritreans living in Uganda:
“Those of you who have not come and joined, we see you. We are watching those of you in Uganda who have not joined. We will make you cry. Anyone who does not join this cannot later be regarded as Eritrean.”
Taken together, the recordings appear to demonstrate an escalating pattern of publicly naming, monitoring, intimidating and pressuring Eritreans living abroad.
CROSS-BORDER INTIMIDATION
The cross-border nature of these statements raises wider concerns. From Norway, Eritreans in Dubai, Uganda and elsewhere are being publicly identified and pressured to demonstrate their loyalty by supporting a campaign presented as a national duty.
By combining praise for the Eritrean Government and armed forces with warnings against non-participants, Ms Aibu appears to treat financial support as a test of Eritrean identity and loyalty. This form of diaspora intimidation may share characteristics commonly associated with transnational repression.
HRCE unequivocally condemns the threats, coercive demands and intimidating language contained in these recordings. Every individual and business has the right to decide freely whether to support a contestant, campaign or cause. No one should be pressured into contributing money through fear, publicly singled out for refusing to participate, or warned that exercising a free choice may endanger their life, safety, reputation, livelihood or business.
HRCE calls upon Ms Aibu to withdraw these statements publicly and immediately cease all threats, intimidation, coercion and online targeting directed at Eritrean artists, businesspeople and other members of the diaspora.
We also urge her followers not to harass, threaten, falsely accuse, defame or retaliate against anyone named or addressed in the recordings.
Participation in any campaign, and every financial contribution, must be entirely voluntary. Threats and coercion have no place in public advocacy or within Eritrean communities.
Human Rights Concern–Eritrea (HRCE)
