Eritrea: The North Korea of Africa

Eritrea is considered the North Korea of Africa because of its brutal treatment of evangelical Christians. For more than 20 years, the oppressive regime of this small East African nation has resulted in the imprisonment of numerous Christians, subjecting these faithful followers of Jesus to confinement under inhumane conditions and torture. In addition, many churches across the country have been forcibly closed.

In this episode of Closer to the Fire, host Greg Musselman is joined by Dr. Berhane Asmelash, who serves as the Director of Release Eritrea – an organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians in Eritrea. Dr. Asmelash discusses with Greg why the Communist dictatorship has been specifically targeting evangelical Christians throughout the country. They also address their concerns over the imprisonment of two pastors who have been detained for more than 19 years, the recent arrests of 103 young adults, and the various hardships facing Eritrean believers in general.

Despite the extreme dangers encountered by followers of Jesus in Eritrea, Dr. Berhane reports, the evangelical church there is continuing to grow amid persecution.

Date: June 2023
Length: 42 minutes

Episode Notes

Release Eritrea’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/release.eritrea
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: www.vomcanada.com
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