Release International Prayer Request: Eritrea

Eritrea: Church leaders arrested in capital
Monday, January 28, 2013

Release partners say that more than 20 Christians have been arrested in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, in the past ten days.

Release Eritrea says that officials have been targeting church leaders of various denominations, including the Full Gospel Church and the Mesret Kristos (Mennonite) Church.
All those detained were arrested at home – prompting suggestions that this had been a 'pre-planned' campaign.
These arrests come against a backdrop of mounting political uncertainty in the East African nation. Last week, a group of dissident soldiers reportedly tried to seize control of the Ministry of Information, apparently to demand political change. Three army officers are reported to have been arrested. Strained relations with Ethiopia have worsened since the death of Ethiopian premier Meles Zenawi last August.
Eritrea has been a one-party state since independence in 1993, under the repressive leadership of President Isaias Afewerki.

For more news and a country profile about Eritrea, click here
(Sources: AP, BBC, Christian Post, Release Eritrea)

• Pray God's peace and protection over His people in Eritrea, and in Asmara particularly. Pray that they will draw near to God for His wisdom and guidance.

• Pray for a breakthrough in the struggle for greater religious liberty in Eritrea, where non-conformist Christians are widely considered dissidents and a threat to national security.