The Saho People's Democratic Movement (SPDM) is an organized group in

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

, fighting for the

self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...

of the

Saho people The Saho are a Cushitic peoples, Cushitic ethnic group who are one of the 9 official ethnic groups Eritrea. They speak Saho as a mother tongue. History The Saho were originally a northern extension of the Afar people, Afar who moved along the G ...

. They are allied with the

Red Sea Afar Democratic Organisation The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organisation (; ; , transliteration: ''Al-tanzim Al-dimokrati Li-'afar Al-Bahr Al-Ahmar''; abbreviated RSADO) is a political organisation and armed insurgent group based in Ethiopia. The organisation is made up of ma ...

(RSADO), whom they have done joint operations with. The organization was founded in 1984, during the

Eritrean War of Independence The Eritrean War of Independence was an War, armed conflict and insurgency aimed at achieving self-determination and independence for Eritrea from Ethiopian rule. Starting in 1961, Eritrean insurgents engaged in guerrilla warfare to liberate ...

, and played a significant role in the struggle against Ethiopian rule. The SPDM was formed as a response to the marginalization of the Saho people by the

Eritrean People's Liberation Front The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), colloquially known as Shabia, was an armed Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist organization that fought for the Eritrean War of Independence, independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. It emerged in 1 ...

(EPLF), the main liberation movement at the time. The SPDM advocated for greater representation of the Saho people in the EPLF, as well as for the recognition of Saho as an official language in Eritrea. The organization also demanded an end to the forced conscription of young men into the EPLF, and for greater democracy and human rights in the country. After Eritrea gained independence in 1993, the SPDM became a political party and participated in the country's first multiparty elections in 1997. However, the party was unable to win any seats in the National Assembly, and has since struggled to gain a foothold in Eritrean politics. The SPDM has been critical of the government of President

Isaias Afwerki Isaias Afwerki (, ; born 2 February 1946) is an Eritrean politician and leader who has been the List of heads of state of Eritrea, president of Eritrea since 1993 and the chairman of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) since 1994 ...

, accusing it of being undemocratic and repressive. The party has also expressed concern over the government's handling of the border dispute with Ethiopia, which has led to a protracted conflict between the two countries. While the SPDM's official position is that it seeks a peaceful and democratic resolution to the conflict between the Saho people and the Eritrean government, some members of the party have expressed support for greater autonomy or even independence for the Saho region. The Saho people have historically faced marginalization and discrimination, and the SPDM has been a vocal advocate for their rights and interests. However, the party leadership has emphasized the importance of national unity and cohesion, and has emphasized that any changes to the country's political structure must be achieved through peaceful and democratic means.

References

Guerrilla organizations National liberation movements in Africa Rebel groups in Eritrea Rebel groups in Ethiopia Political parties of minorities in Eritrea {{Eritrea-stub