Eritrea: The North Korea of Africa

Eritrea is considered the North Korea of Africa because of its brutal treatment of evangelical Christians. For more than 20 years, the oppressive regime of this small East African nation has resulted in the imprisonment of numerous Christians, subjecting these faithful followers of Jesus to confinement under inhumane conditions and torture. In addition, many churches across the country have been forcibly closed.

In this episode of Closer to the Fire, host Greg Musselman is joined by Dr. Berhane Asmelash, who serves as the Director of Release Eritrea – an organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians in Eritrea. Dr. Asmelash discusses with Greg why the Communist dictatorship has been specifically targeting evangelical Christians throughout the country. They also address their concerns over the imprisonment of two pastors who have been detained for more than 19 years, the recent arrests of 103 young adults, and the various hardships facing Eritrean believers in general.

Despite the extreme dangers encountered by followers of Jesus in Eritrea, Dr. Berhane reports, the evangelical church there is continuing to grow amid persecution.

Date: June 2023
Length: 42 minutes

Episode Notes

Release Eritrea’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/release.eritrea
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com
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Country Information
Population
6,274,796 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Tigrinya (50), Tigre (30), Saho (4), Afar (4) Kunama (4), Bilen (3), other (5)

Religion (%)
Islam (47.4), Christianity (48.8), other (3.8)

Leader
President Isaias Afworki (1993)

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Sources: CIA World Factbook, Operation World
Pray for Eritrea
Ask the Lord to provide imprisoned Eritrean believers a means of escape and a place of safe refuge. Pray for Him to also work deeply in the hearts of the country's governing officials so they will grant His people the freedom to worship Him and glorify His matchless name. Mindful of their own human frailties, may these political leaders realize the need to make Jesus their own personal Saviour and Lord by accepting His gift of eternal salvation.