"In preparation for the war, Eritrea continues its relentless persecution of evangelical and pentecostal Christians. Up to as many as 1,800 Christians were arrested by the government on the 3rd of November according to a BosNewsLife report. This includes over 200 people -- men, women, and children -- arrested at a wedding. This is the most severe crack-down on evangelicals and pentecostals since the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches not belonging to the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Lutheran denominations.
According to published reports, the relief and development program of the Kale Haiwot Church have been closed by the government. I, personally, know the leaders of the Kale Haiwot church in Asmara, and I have grave concern for the safety of those leaders who are now in prison." Read full post.
Rumours of war
Ethiopundit writes about Rumors of War and concludes by saying: "We're not buying any of the rumors of war - the issue of war is a sideshow to distract from the real issues that Ethiopians and Eritreans have to deal with."
"There will always be tensions between the countries but the timing of the recent rumors of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea is suspect. The Eritrean government wants attention from the West because it is going broke and because it faces rising internal opposition. The potential for conflict has provided the government with its raison d'etre and has justified endless general mobilization since then along with the lack of political rights.
The Ethiopian government wants Western interest to change subjects from the collapse of the pretense of democracy onto the more manageable topics of law, order and regional security issues dear to the hearts of donor nations. Rumors of war provide just such an opportunity."
