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Eritrea

• Clampdown Against Christians Continues

  

  A recent wave of raids against Christians has taken place, with at least 150 arrested in the past two months. On June 23rd, 70 members of the Faith Mission Church of Christ in Keren were arrested (see this report). The believers were taken to the Ashufera prison which, according to reports, consists of a series of tunnels in a remote area outside of the city. Prisoners there are forced to dig more tunnels when additional space is needed.

• Patriarch Excommunicated

  

  While the Eritrean government officially recognizes four religious groups, even members of those groups remain under heavy oppression. In 2005, the government forcibly removed the head of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, Patriarch Abuna Antonios, replacing him with a government-appointed lay administrator (read more). The Patriarch has remained under house arrest ever since, stripped of all administrative duties.

• Confiscations and Arrests Include Children

  

  Security officers raided the Faith Missions Church in Eritrea's second largest city of Keren on June 23rd, confiscating property and arresting a number of those present -- including pregnant women and children. The church has been operating in the country since the early 1950s and seeking registration since 2002. However, the government has outlawed any religious practice not associated with either the Roman Catholic, Eritrean Orthodox or Evangelical Lutheran denominations, or Sunni Islam.

• Arrests of Christians Continue

  

  In the days leading up to Eritrea's Independence Day celebrations during the month of May, authorities arrested more than 140 Christians in an attempt to quell any indications of dissent in the country (see this report). Unfortunately, the renewed crackdown on Christians does not seem to have abated.

• More Than 140 Arrested

  

  As Eritrea begins week-long celebrations leading up to their Independence Day on May 24th, efforts to prevent any sign of dissent have resulted in the detainment of more than 140 Christians. The arrests happened at a private gathering in the Mai Temenai area of Asmara on May 17th. Of those arrested, 14 were children.

• Prisoner's One Request

  

  Twen Theodros has spent 13 years behind bars in Eritrea. Despite having suffered brutal treatment, this young woman, who is described as a "precious, lovely Christian" by those who know her, is more concerned about others than for her own well-being. Those familiar with Helen Berhane may know Twen as "Esther."

  Imprisoned in the same shipping container, Twen would care for Helen, washing her wounds, feeding her, even taking beatings in her place. VOMC's ministry partner, Release International, had recently managed to find out through contacts how she is doing in prison and request specific ways we can pray for her. Twen's reply was simple yet deeply humbling. She had only one prayer request, and that was for God to be glorified in Eritrea!

• Agents Hunt Christians After Preacher's Visit

  

  When a peace agreement was reached between Eritrea and Ethiopia, hopes were high that the new-found peace could also lead to a relaxation of human rights violations and religious oppression in Eritrea. On July 18th, the first flight from Ethiopia to Asmara in more than 20 years arrived with Pentecostal evangelist Surafiel Demssie as one of the passengers.

  Upon arriving in the capital city, Pastor Surafiel held an informal evangelistic street meeting. He left shortly after and that was when police moved in. At last report, five people were arrested and others have gone into hiding. One of them, believed to be the host of the meeting, was arrested at the airport.

• 35 Prisoners Released!

  

  In a surprising move, 35 prisoners of faith were released on bail from the Mai-Sirwa prison on July 17th and 18th, after serving more than four years. The 11 women and 24 men, all members of unregistered Christian churches, were mostly young people not in leadership positions. Although all of them had signed a statement four and a half years ago, promising to no longer attend meetings at unregistered churches, officials continued to hold them in detention without cause.

• Pastor Released After 11 Years!

  

  Pastor Oqbamichel Haimanot was first arrested in 2003, resulting initially in a few weeks of detainment. In 2005, he was arrested again when a wedding was raided and over 60 Christians were taken to the Sawa military centre -- a place renowned for its brutal treatment. He was released a few months later after suffering a mental breakdown (see this page).

• Government Asserts Control Over Religious Schools

  

  On October 31st, security forces shot at protesters who had gathered in the capital of Asmara to express their concerns over the Eritrean government's latest plans for all schools of the country. In its longstanding strategy to transform all academic institutions into community or public schools, the government is now forbidding students from wearing any religious accessories or apparel, such as Christian crosses or Muslim headscarves. The schools were notified in September that these changes were to take place with immediate effect.