Name: Eritrea
Source of Persecution: Dictatorial Paranoia, Denominational Protectionism, Organized Corruption and Crime
Rank: #5 on the World Watch List
Eritrea is one of the world’s most difficult places to be a follower of Jesus. The government recognizes only four religious groupings. These exclude most evangelical and Pentecostal groups, who are treated as illegal. Christians who worship outside state-sanctioned churches face intense surveillance, violent police raids and indefinite imprisonment – often in brutally shocking conditions. Converts from Islam or the Eritrean Orthodox Church also risk rejection by their families and social exclusion, in addition to state persecution.
The militarized nature of society compounds repression. People who are forcibly drafted into the military face an indefinite period of service. There is no leniency for anyone unwilling to serve, and Christians in the military caught worshipping are punished severely. Christians face a devastating dilemma: Endure persecution and forced service or flee the country through routes made hazardous by trafficking, danger and the risk of torture.
Non-traditional Christian groups, such as evangelical, Pentecostal and Baptist churches, face the harshest repression. Unrecognized by the state, these groups and churches endure raids, imprisonment and systemic marginalization. Worship is banned, members are labeled foreign agents, and their gatherings are criminalized. At times, the Eritrean Orthodox Church supports state efforts to suppress these groups. Young people are also highly vulnerable, as many are forcibly and indefinitely conscripted into the Eritrean military. Additionally, converts from Islam or Eritrean Orthodoxy can face pressure from their families and community.
Prayer Points
- There are many Christians stuck in Eritrea’s notorious prison system – some detained simply for practicing their faith. Pray they will keep their hope alive and be set free.
- Ask God to protect and provide for the daily needs of Christians who are arrested or detained for their faith. Pray they will know they aren’t forgotten, and that their families will be comforted.
- Eritrea is ruled by a brutal dictatorship. Pray that President Afwerki’s heart would be turned away from oppression and toward the love of Jesus.