The EPA has been less active since the February 2005 arrests of Yepez and 3 other members. They have not been associated with any violence or terrorism since late 2004. The Chavez regime maintains its popularity with Venezuela's lower classes, and the country's bitter feud with the United States is still in full swing. <P><br /><br />It is unclear what the future role of the EPA is in the Venezuela-U.S. confrontation. It is certainly possible that the group may carry out other attacks against American targets, particularly businesses, in Venezuela. At the same time, the February arrests may have crippled the group, or it may have been reabsorbed into the FBL. If the group continues to operate, it will remain criminalized and on the fringes of Venezuelan politics, but the anti-Americanism and anti-neo-liberalism that it stands for will continue to have momentum in the country.  <br />

Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) -- Rival and Ally

Abu Sihel Movement, Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ, Eritrean Islamic Reform Movement, Islamic Salvation Movement (Harakat al Khalas al Islami)

<a href="terrorist_organizations_by_country.asp?id=ER">Eritrea</a>, <a href="terrorist_organizations_by_country.asp?id=ET">Ethiopia</a>, <a href="terrorist_organizations_by_country.asp?id=SU">Sudan</a>

Sudan has allegedly provided weapons, training sites, and safe havens for EJIM rebels

The EIJM claimed responsibility for several attacks in 2003, including the bombing of a hotel in Teseney, and the year culminated in a series of ambushes that claimed the lives of 46 Eritrean military personnel. Since then it has been relatively quiet, though no evidence suggests that the group is inactive.

Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM) -- Rival and Ally
Eritrean People's Liberation Front -- Splinter Group

Received military and financial support from Iraq and Syria

The Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) was formed by a group of Eritrean students and intellectuals in Cairo, Egypt in July 1960.  The Eritrean Liberation Front's primary objective was straightforward, to secure Eritrean independence from Ethiopia.  Between 1885 and 1952, Eritrea was governed by Italy and Great Britain, successively.  In 1952, the United Nations federated Eritrea with neighboring Ethiopia.  While Eritrea gained some measures of autonomy, the resolution stopped short of creating an independent Eritrean republic.  <P> The Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) began offensive actions against the Ethiopian government in 1961.  While the group initially displayed characteristics of a Muslim movement and later flirted with Marxism, the ELF was first and foremost a nationalist group working for Eritrean independence.  The ELF was the primary nationalist movement from 1960 to 1970.  However in 1970, an internal ELF dispute led to the creation of a splinter organization, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF).  Following the split, the EPLF would usurp the ELF as the primary insurgent group.