Christian Persecution: Please pray for Christians in ERITREA – World Watch List #10
“I am testing and experiencing the love and care of our Lord every day… The moment I entered my cell, one of the prisoners called me and said, ‘Pastor, come over here. Everyone in this cell are (unsaved). You are very much needed here.’ So, on the same day I was put in prison, I carried on my spiritual work”. – Eritrean pastor in prison
Population: 5.6 million (2.5 million Christians – mostly Orthodox)
Main Religion: Islam/Christianity
Source of Persecution: Dictatorial paranoia
OPEN DOORS: All evangelical churches were closed in 2002 following a government ban on religious groups other than Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Islam. The government is very hard on non-traditional Christians, but members of the Orthodox Church also report on evangelical believers, and Muslim extremists are ready to take over where the government leaves off. When believers are discovered they are arrested and held in shipping containers in military camps. At least 105 Christians were arrested in 2012, and 31 Christians were reported to have died in prison.
Please Pray:
- For God’s strength for Christians imprisoned in containers, especially those arrested in 2012
- For spouses and families who are forced to live as refugees in different countries
- For worldwide awareness of the plight of Eritrean Christians.
Eritrea has three types of Christianity: registered historical churches, Christian-background believers (CBBs), and independent Christians. The country has a violent history with Ethiopia, and shares a long border with its ‘arch-enemy’. A government official once declared in public that there are three enemies that need to be eradicated: HIV/ Aids, the regime in Ethiopia and independent Christians.
Weeping women relatives and friends at Arsema’s funeral, the Adiaklom mountain range in the background
The Eritrean Orthodox Church is the largest church in the country and its members are said to spy on the activities of CBBs and independent Christians and report them. Violence was high against CBBs and independent Christians. The horrific story of Christians being held in containers in military camps is widely known. 31 cases of deaths of Christians in prison were reported in 2012. Muslims are also subjected to government hostilities, especially groups with Wahhabi tendencies.
The future for the church in Eritrea is worrying. The government is still very hard on CBBs and independent Christians, and pressurises the registered churches too. Extremist Islam seems to be preparing itself to be unleashed on Eritrean society as soon as the government releases squeeze on churches and mosques.
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More From The Orthodox Church: Persecution of Eritrean Christians
Reports say that Christians and Christian churches are severely persecuted in Eritrea. Reports state that Christians who are trying to flee the persecutions are facing threat, torture, beating sexual assault and imprisonment. Many of the Christians are fleeing the land to neighboring countries. It is estimated that there are more between 2000 and 3000 Christians in Eritrean prisons. According to reports, Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians are attacked in large numbers. Many people seeking refuge in Egypt get killed by human traffickers and many others are being held captive in Sinai desert. The refugees are heavily tortured both physically and mentally. Many people held in prison face death due to torture and lack of medical aid. The official sources of the Eritrean government deny any sort of assaults on Christians which has been proved to be wrong in all manners. (The Detained Patriarch, Persecuted Christians and a Dying Church)
Traditional Orthodox Christian chant and drum at Sunday School in Adi Quala’s Church, one of the oldest churches in Eritrea, in the remote area of Zoba Debub near the Ethiopian border, a few miles North of Adwa. This is some of the oldest, most preserved sacred music on earth, straight out of the 4th Century. Filmed by Bruno Blum in November, 2008.
The Peanut Gallery 