PRAY FOR ERITREA
– Ask that God would intervene to bring about freedom for all His people.
– That God will be close to prisoners and those forced into military service.
– That God will change the heart of President Afwerki and his government.
WORLD WATCH LIST
Eritrea
#4Followers of Jesus face indefinite imprisonment, conscription, and abuse.
bottom“Abdullah spent two years in prison. His wife was not allowed to bring him any extra clothes to him, and he only received food three times a week.”
– Local partner, speaking of an Eritrean Christian.
Country
Profile
- Region
- Africa
- Sources of persecution
- Dictatorial Paranoia
- Population
- 3,728,000
- Christian population
- 1,739,000
- Religions
- Islam
- Leader
- President Isaias Afwerki
- Score
- 89
What’s Life Like For Christians?
Eritrea has lingered in the top 10 of the World Watch List for years. It’s known as the “North Korea of Africa” due to its intense authoritarian government. Eritrea only recognises three Christian denominations (Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran), so anyone who follows Jesus outside of these sanctioned churches is at constant risk. Speaking out about persecution or government interference in church matters is not tolerated at all.
Raids to round up believers who worship God outside of the recognised denominations are common. When Christians are caught in these raids, they may be sent into Eritrea’s notorious prison network, where they can be detained indefinitely. Around 1,000 Eritrean Christians are estimated to be imprisoned—and they haven’t been charged with any crime. Members of some house churches have been in prison for more than 10 years, enduring shocking conditions, including solitary confinement in tiny cells.
Anyone who converts from Islam or leaves the Eritrean Orthodox Church to be part of an Evangelical or Pentecostal church is likely to come under intense pressure from their family and community, as well as from the government.
Who Is Most Vulnerable To Persecution?
Christians who convert from Islam or leave Orthodoxy face the most pressure from family and community—but all Christians in Eritrea face intense scrutiny from the government, risking arrest and indefinite detention. Even those within the recognised Christian denominations are targets for government surveillance and arrest.
Women who convert from Islam experience additional pressures. Converts risk abduction, house arrest, forced marriage or divorce, and removal of their children.
What Does Open Doors Do To Help?
Open Doors works through local church partners in Eritrea to provide economic empowerment projects, discipleship, and persecution survival training.
