By Habtom Yohannes
February 7, 2005
“From Adi Abeito they forced us to walk all the way to Mai Sirwa bare foot. In Mai Sirwa they put us (around 30 believers) into a small container. We actually couldn’t breath and we thought we are going to die of suffocation. At that moment we shouted and called the guards and begged them to open the container so that we could breathe. The guards replied: “those responsible with the key have left for Asmara so keep quite until they come back tomorrow.” In the morning they opened the door but all of us lied fainted. We had no power even to utter words. But God saved us and I am here among you to witness this horrible deed.”
A witness from Asmara (name and occupation not released due to security reasons, HY).
The Asmara regime has formed a Special Task Force to eradicate “menfesawyan” (Spirituals) from Eritrea by the end of 2005. One of the leaders of this Special Task Force is called by his first name Ghebremeskel. As part of this move the Isaias regime has increased its clampdown on followers of the so called Charismatic Movements (CM). See below for my definition of Charismatic Movement. Semere Zaid was arrested a week ago together with many other believers who disappeared behind bars without any charge.
When I told my children about the arrest of Semere Zaid, lecturer at the University of Asmara they sighed: “what is going on in Eritrea? Everyone you know is disappearing without a trace: Journalists, ministers, generals, believers… etcetera. Couldn’t you do anything? Could the world do nothing? Why do you allow one man to make the whole nation suffer like this?” Questions that are much stronger than my answers. Semere Zaid was not only an Eritrean intellectual but also a brother in Christ who chose to serve his nation against all odds.
He earned his masters from, among others, the Agricultural University of Wageningen, here in The Netherlands. Last year he visited The Netherlands to do his PhD. His professors were stunned when they heard the arrest of Semere Zaid. His PhD study is interrupted indefinitely; freezed like human beings in Eritrea.
On December 26th 2004 Semere Zaid visited us to celebrate Christmas and the birthday of my eldest daughter. It was at that time that we discussed the arrest of the three clergy of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, among them the only psychiatrist in Eritrea Dr. Fitsum Gebrenigus. Others told Semere Zaid not to come back to Eritrea but he trusted in his innocence. He trusted in his brothers and sisters who have been running the nation as if it is their own playground. But children care much more about their playground than this inhuman regime about the nation and the people. Semere Zaid was determined to serve his nation and his people materially and spiritually. He believed in legality not knowing that legality is on a long vacation in present day Eritrea.
Semere’s only “crime” is his determination to worship Jesus Christ according to his conscience. After members of the special task force started to look after him he chose to go to the police station together with officials of the University of Asmara. When the officials of the University reached the police station they were told to leave the station without their colleague and father of two small children (under five). They arrested him without charges. His students have been asking about his whereabouts but to no avail. We have a nation without a responsible regime and university officials and teachers who keep silent while their colleagues suffer. During the seventies when Eritrea was bleeding under Mengistoe Haile Mariam, security forces of Ethiopia used to roam schools in Asmara and arrest students at random. But we had teachers and directors at Point Four and Melestegna and KedamaWi Haile Selassie (Keyih Bahri) who defended their students and colleagues from arrest; nothing of this kind in present day Eritrea. Officials of University Asmara who keep silent while their colleagues and students suffer at the hands of this inhuman regime.
The Asmara regime has formed a Special Task Force to eradicate “menfesawyan” (Spirituals) from Eritrea by the end of 2005. As part of this move the Isaias regime has increased its clampdown on followers of the so called Charismatic Movements.
In my definition Charismatic Movements (CM) are the different Pentecostal denominations (Mulu Wengel, Rema and others) followers of Faith Mission Church, Baptist Church (Kale Hiywet) and the renewal movements from within Eritrean Orthodox Church (Tewahdo), the Lutheran-Evangelical Church (Geza Kensha) and the Roman Catholic Church of Eritrea (katolic). As you know these three Christian Churches and followers of Islam under the Eritrean Mufti are allowed to worship as long as they dance to the tune of the regime. The leaders of these churches are keeping quite while their own children are being persecuted before their own eyes. May God the Almighty forgive them for their complicity? Conspiracy of silence!
Do you remember the wonderful song of Haile Gebru “Tekormika Motiye Asafihka Motiye Nianay Nibahri Nihade Ametye”? Some people, some religious leaders, some believers, some intellectuals think to save their skin by silence and as I said above: silence is conspiracy.
When the Nazi’s of Hitler unleashed their destructive plan to arrest and destroy everyone who differs from their religion (what is Nazism other than destructive religion?) one told the following story:
“When they arrested the homosexuals I didn’t protest because I was not a homosexual. When they arrested the Jehovah Witnesses, I kept quite because I was not a Jehovah Witness. When they jailed the Jews I closed my eyes because I was not a Jew. When they arrested the communists I continue to do my business because I was not a communist. When they came to arrest me there was nobody to witness let alone protest.” It seems history is repeating itself. Not only traditional religious leaders, intellectuals and businessmen inside Eritrea are keeping quite but also believers outside Eritrea. May God forgive us for our silence and May God protect our brothers and sisters inside the prisons of Eritrea. The wider family members of these believers are also suffering. Especially wives and children are left behind without any form of income and support.
Summary of a report I received today from Eritrea: (I won’t name the town for security reasons):
Asmara
The government has planned and decided to destroy called 'Menfesawuyan" in the year 2005. To carry out this operation the government has put in place special task force. One of the leaders is Ghebremeskel, who is dealing with different governmental organizations.
The people of Asmara were told to inform the police and their local administration offices about any spirituals and houses where “menfesawyan” (spirituals) come together.
In the new year about 75 people were caught in different parts of Asmara from three Pentecostal churches while they were having Christmas and New Year programmes. About four families were caught together with their fathers, mothers and their children. Some of the mothers were arrested together with their babies. Some of them were released after a week. Some mothers are still in Mai Serwa, Adi Abeito and other police stations. Among the imprisoned are 20 students but they are still in the prisons. Nobody is allowed to visit them. 15 of the prisoners are children between 12-17. The regime is torturing them to forsake their faith but the have been refusing to do so.
In the first two weeks of the New Year, about 55 believers were caught by the military police. The 40 people were worshipping five kilometres outside Asmara in Adi-Abeito. They were forced to walk bare foot to Mai Serwa. One witness told us: “From Adi Abeito they forced us to walk all the way to Mai Sirwa bare foot. In Mai Sirwa they put us (around 30 believers) into a small container. We actually couldn’t breath and we thought we are going to die of suffocation. At that moment we shouted and called the guards and begged them to open the container so that we could breathe. The guards replied: “those responsible with the key have left for Asmara so keep quite until they come back tomorrow.” In the morning they opened the door but all of us lied fainted. We had no power even to utter words. But God saved us and I am here among you to witness this horrible deed.”
Some ten days ago the executive committee of the Full Gospel Church were taken by the security forces in two Four Wheel Toyota cars to unknown destination.
Hotels and Halls are forbidden to allow spirituals to organise weddings starting. So from January 2005 we (pastors and elders) are organising weddings in private homes.
Zagir
In January of this year about 30 young believers were gathered to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in Zagir. At that time the Special Security Force (hunters) came and grappled them. About 10 of these people are under age: 10 – 17 years! I heard this bad news from the elders of our local church when I went to Zagir for ministry after the day of the New Year. Some of them were ferried to Sawa but most of them are still in (…) behind bars.
Adi Keyih
In the first week of the year of the 2005 there was wedding of the Kalehiwote church. Two pastors went to Adi Keyih to lead the service.. While the wedding was going on the lawless people came and arrested the whole congregation, including the bride and the bridegroom. The two pastors were arrested and they took them to Sawa. One of the pastors is brother Ukbamicael who is in his late fifties.
Dekemhare
In Dekemhare there are always "Menfesawuyan" prisoners. They arrest and release them and they arrest them again. We call that “arrest by shift”. The regime is also confiscating all properties of spirituals; like tape recorder, books etcetera.
The pastor for our local church in Dekemhare was told to leave the town of Dekemhare for three months in 2004 after they make him suffer in prison. He can’t use his leg and arm properly due to torture. One menfesawi who has a music shop in Dekemhare was arrested for two weeks, punished and must pay five thousand Nakfa because they found spiritual cassettes in his shop. And the one who sang the song was punished and must pay three thousand Nakfa. People in Dekemhare are prohibited from renting houses to spirituals. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your personal saviour you are not allowed to rent a house.
Massawa
Local Churches in Massawa are forced to close at the end of 2004.
Assab.
Many believers were ferried to the Denakil areas to suffer: torture, neglection, deprivation and even killings. Christians prisoners in this are suffer a lot and are totally forbidden from receiving anything from family members or friends while their torturers indulge in luxury. As I have confirmed during my last trip to Assab in 2004 there are many prisoners who are suffering from different kinds of diseases. Because of this around six Christians died in prison. Those who refuse to recant their faith are made to suffer a lot in the eyes of other prisoners. Those who refuse until the end might be killed by death squads. There are reports of such killings. Menfesawian are passing through many hardships. I witnessed myself many horrible things. The strong believers are put in a place called SHELLA. Shella is about two by two meters; they put three people with different language together. My brother was put for about five months in such a cell together with Affar people. God helped him and learned the language in the cell and told them about Jesus Christ. God is wonderful even in suffering. The worst human rights violations are taking place in Eritrea my brother.
Adi Nifas
There is one family of our local church in Adi Nifas; persecuted and suffered for the last six Finally the local governor forced them to sign a letter that they will not be buried inside Eritrea. With joy and boldness they signed the paper. For your surprise: these Eritrean parents have three children in national service, working for their nation and defending their country without any payment. But the regime made of them a pariah inside their own country, inside their own town. In October 2004 they had a wedding of their daughter. Nobody from the town was allowed to attend the wedding. I attended the wedding together with a family and a choir from …(a known place inside Eritrea).
Senafee
In the end of the 2004 about 40 Menfesawian have been arrested while they are celebrating the sermon of wedding.
Dear brother Habtom; people are suffering a lot in whole Eritrea just because of their faith. We are praying in faith to the God of our mothers and fathers for redemption of our nation and our people. We have been serving our nation in national service and we have been trustworthy in different responsibilities. The government knows that! The regime is not in a position to accuse us of any other crime than our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. If that is a crime then we will stand up till the end to defend our faith. We love our people and our nation since that is what God has taught us. But we love our people in Truth and Light!
God bless you and please help us in everything you can, because your people are suffering.
Copyright © 2001- 2004 Habtom Yohannes. All rights reserved. Used by permission of
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