One of the main activities carried out by Eritrea's embassies abroad is to bring all Eritrean Orthodox Church congregations abroad under the total control of the government. The embassies do this through intimidation campaigns and by sowing discord and division. Local members of Eritrea's ruling party, the PFDJ, and embassy staff are known to be behind this shameful campaign.
One of the many churches that has been the target of such a relentless campaign is the Kidane Mehret (Covenant of Mercy) Orthodox Church in Nairobi, Kenya. Two years ago, the former priest there, Father Hadgu W. Haimanot, was forced out of his church because he opposed the unwanted interference in the church's affairs by the Eritrean embassy in Nairobi. After receiving death threats, he sought refuge at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Nairobi and was granted asylum in the United States.
Four years ago, another priest, Father Ghebreberhan Fesseha, who was in Sudan, escaped an assassination attempt by agents of the Eritrean regime.
The latest victim is Father Berhane Haileab, a former supporter of the regime. He was brought to Nairobi from Asmara to replace Father Hadgu almost two years ago. Since taking up his post, he has run into the same difficulties with the embassy as his predecessor, reportedly because he has taken a similar stance.
Yoftahe Dimetros, the politically appointed leader for the past eight years of the Eritrean Orthodox Church as a mere department of the oppressive regime, came to Kenya in mid-December 2009 to force Father Berhane to obey the orders of the embassy. When the priest stood firm, Yoftahe handed him a letter ordering him to present himself in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, by December 24, 2009. Father Berhane continued to refuse, thereby questioning Yoftahe's own legitimacy and authority over the Eritrean Orthodox Church.
On January 3, 2010, at the behest of the Eritrean Embassy in Nairobi, members of the Eritrean ruling party broke into Father Berhane's residence and took all his belongings. After being prevented from entering the church building and threatened with death, Father Berhane Haileab has gone into hiding in Nairobi. The organization In Chains For Christ has received information that he has requested and received protection from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Nairobi.
Ironically, Father Berhane used to be a staunch supporter of the regime and has previously expressed agreement with the regime's imprisonment of other priests; indeed, he has been known to be Yoftahe's right-hand man.
Eritrea's regime has been internationally condemned for years for its cruel repression of Christians and other religious and political activists, the closure of many churches and the imprisonment of over 3500 Christians, including several priests, including the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church who was deposed by the regime and is under house arrest.
Source: www.InChainsForChrist.org
