Berlin, 17 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has strongly condemned the riot that broke out at a gathering of people from Eritrea in Stuttgart at the weekend.

"Foreign conflicts must not be carried out in our country," she said on Sunday, adding that the perpetrators of the violence must be held accountable.

Faeser wished the 26 police officers injured in the riot a complete and speedy recovery.

The fighting erupted on Saturday afternoon during a gathering of Eritrean associations with about 80 to 90 participants.

The police force, who had 300 officers deployed, described these individuals from Eritrea as being supportive of the dictatorial regime that holds power in the Horn of African country.

Several hundred people who oppose the regime under the control of President Isaias Afwerki came out to protest the event. The crowd was assigned an area in which to demonstrate but left it and headed for the meeting venue.

Opponents then attacked participants and police officers with metal bars, bottles, stones and other objects.

As well as the police officers who were injured, four participants in the pro-regime event and two opposition activists were wounded.

Photo: MIA archive