Eritrea has been described as the second worst place on earth for Christians to live, after North Korea.
President Isaias Afewerki has been in power since the country’s independence in 1993 and there have been no elections since then. The country’s citizens are subject to mass surveillance and arbitrary arrest, causing them to live in constant fear. After reaching the age of about 16, boys and girls are called up for an indefinite period of military service that is effectively a form of slave labour.
Thousands in prison
Some Christian denominations are accepted by the government, but Christians belonging to other denominations are not permitted to meet together and are frequently arrested. An estimated 1,200 – 3,000 people are currently in prison on religious grounds, most of them Christians.
Once arrested, they are not formally charged or brought before a court. They are not allowed legal counsel or family visits. It is forbidden to pray aloud, sing or read a Bible. Some are held in solitary confinement, some in metal containers (some of these are underground), often ill treated and subjected to torture in an attempt to force them to renounce Christianity. Forced disappearances and killings are widespread.
Around 5,000 Eritreans flee the country every month. Many escape through Sudan, then Libya or Egypt in an attempt to reach Israel or European shores. Last year, 22% of those travelling to Italy by boat were Eritrean.
The escape is perilous, but conditions are so terrifying in Eritrea that many feel they have no option. Many suffer horrific physical and sexual abuse at the hands of people smugglers. Although many Eritrean Christians flee to Egypt with the aim of crossing its border into Israel, hundreds end up in Egyptian prisons, where they are held in poor conditions, denied access to healthcare and suffer malnutrition and abuse. Police stations have even been raided by jihadists who abduct prisoners and demand a ransom fee for their release.1
Addicted to reading the Bible
The following edited version of an interview by World Watch Monitor emphasises all the above. ‘Eric’ is an Eritrean who made the journey 15 years ago and never returned. However, nothing has changed. Even now, he – a British passport holder in his 40s – does not wish to be identified, for fear of potential reprisals against remaining family members back home.
WWM: Why did you decide to flee Eritrea?
Eric: ‘There were many reasons. First of all, national service. It’s compulsory and never ends, unless you can bribe officials. You serve indefinitely, without any salary, apart from pocket money. It’s basically slavery.
‘Eritrea is a dictatorship. There is no freedom of speech, politics, religion, press. There is no medical attention whatsoever. You can’t go back to your home and see your family.’
WWM: What role did your Christian faith have in your decision?
Eric: ‘I was a pastor and didn’t want to go into national service at all. They took me by force. I decided to escape not only because of my faith, but because I don’t agree with the regime.
‘But the main reason people are fleeing – whether Christian or not – is because the government is brutal. There are no human rights, and national service is still going on – even for 65, 70-year-olds! … There is no war, it’s only the government trying to control people.
‘[I was scared] every moment. As a Christian, I knew I could trust the Lord at all times. But still, you’re not safe at home, in Sudan, when you cross the border, in the Sahara Desert.’
WWM: Can you explain a little more about life for Christians in Eritrea?
Eric: ‘As a Pentecostal believer, life is difficult. The only categories of religion allowed in Eritrea are Muslims, Catholics, Orthodox Christians and one group from the evangelical church. Apart from that, all kinds of religion are forbidden. You can’t even read your Bible – if you’re found reading the Bible or praying, they’ll put you in prison or even kill you.
‘For the Pentecostal believer, it’s a double torment. They go to compulsory national service and are not allowed to exercise their faith.’
WWM: Why are some strands of Christianity accepted and others aren’t?
Eric: ‘Pentecostals are very serious. They love to read their Bible; they share their faith with others. They obey the government, but want to exercise their faith as well.
‘There has been an epidemic of new Christians. Thousands have come to faith. When we got our independence [from Ethiopia], the church grew tremendously, all across Eritrea. The government was aware of that and there is a fear behind that.
‘[Most] Catholics and Orthodox don’t exercise their faith, even though they claim they have religion. But the Pentecostals are “converted”, so they are serious about their faith, they read their Bible and pray. They are addicted to reading their Bible – cautiously, obviously, because if they are found, they would be arrested.’
