Arrests of Non-Denominational Christians Continue in ‘North Korea of Africa’

by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Thirty Pentecostal Christians were arrested in the Eritrea Capital of Asmara recently, continuing a trend of government crackdowns on non-organized religion in the East African country that saw 141 more Christians arrested on May 10th.

The Christians had gathered to pray in an unofficial capacity in three different locations in the capital, and likely face beating, torture, and forced labor for deviating from Eritrea’s four state-approved religions—Orthodox Christianity, Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Eritrea.

“In Eritrea almost every Christian faces imprisonment,” an Eritrean Christian refugee living in an Ethiopian refugee camp told Release International recently. “It is like North Korea, but in Africa,” said another.

Eritrea is ranked 7th on Open Doors USA’s 2019 World Watch List for Christian persecution, with the “dictatorial paranoia” of President Isaias Afewerki cited as the main cause.

Recently 100 prominent African writers wrote an open letter to Eritrea’s leader asking the country to come out of its shell as “the most closed society on our continent,” an atmosphere that has caused tens of thousands of Eritreans to flee across the Mediterranean to Italy or into ramshackle refugee camps in Ethiopia.

Lift this up in Prayer

14

people are currently praying.

Latest Worthy News

Fair Use Notice:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Books by George Whitten

Identity in Messiah Revealed https://identityinmessiah.com

A devotional journey calling believers out of self-doubt and into confident, Kingdom-rooted identity in the Messiah.

Get it on Amazon

The Biblical Fall Feasts Revealed https://biblicalfallfeasts.com

An in-depth look at the Biblical fall feasts and their prophetic significance for believers today.

Get it on Amazon