Since the wave of arrests it initiated against Eritrea’s “minority religions” between the 3rd and 9th of September, the government has kept up the pressure to isolate them from their followers as well as the adherents of the four “officially-sanctioned” religions.
The security authorities have separated those deemed as influential among the recently jailed Christian and Muslim believers from the rest of the detainees. The majority have been transferred to detention centers in the Dahlak Islands, while those considered to be the leaders are kept in the high security ‘wenjel mermera’ prison in Asmara. In the week of 20-26 September, the detainees, who included many women and children, were transported to Dongollo Laalai where they were handed over to the Eritrean Navy for subsequent shipping to Dahlak.
Simultaneously, the Eritrean Government has, in recent weeks, been busily campaigning against followers of independent protestant churches and Muslim teachers. In its latest effort, it has called the leaders of the four ‘officially-sanctioned’ religions to a meeting. According to our sources, the purpose of the meeting was to convince these leaders to issue a statement condemning the religious groups that were banned by the Government.
Meanwhile, Asmara-based western ambassadors have made their concerns over the new wave of arrests known to the Eritrean authorities. The US Ambassador to Eritrea, whose government published a critical report on Eritrea’s religious freedom, which was in turn the subject of a scathing response by the Eritrean government, has officially requested to meet with the leaders of the various religious groups in Eritrea with a view to assessing the situation. His request was granted only with regard to meetings with the Orthodox, Muslim, Catholic and the Evangelical Lutheran spiritual leaders, which he met accompanied by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official.
The “officially non-sanctioned” Christian religions are about a dozen, mostly Protestant Christian, faiths. They include Rema, Meseret Kristos, Full Gospel, Kalehiwot, Philadelphia Church, Orthodox Reform and Jehovah’s Witnesses. There have been no reports of “officially non-sanctioned” Muslim sects: the arrested Muslims, like their Christian counterparts, are visibly more devout in the practice of their faith.
