Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: May 7, 2022
The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. (Isaiah 42:13)
It’s been 20 years since the closure of most churches in Eritrea, and in a couple of weeks’ time we’ll be holding our 19th prayer and protest event: ‘Struck down but not destroyed’
We long for justice, peace, and for an end to the immense suffering that has occurred over the last 20 years. So we stir ourselves to pray once again, remembering that our mighty God is sovereign over all things.
Pray for freedom for the prisoners
Since 2002, thousands of people have been detained indefinitely, without charge or trial, for belonging to an ‘illegal’ religious group.
Even members of permitted religious communities are at risk, as we remember that Abune Antonios – the legitimate patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church – died in February while still under house arrest. He had been detained for the last 16 years of his life.
Pray for the situation in Tigray
In November 2020 the Eritrean regime extended its repression into the neighbouring region of Tigray, Ethiopia. Over 52,000 people have died since the start of the conflict, and an estimated 1.7 million have been displaced internally, or have fled the country .
Meanwhile, the regime destroyed two Eritrean refugee camps, killed and raped refugees, and forcibly returned thousands of others to the horrors they’d fled.
In summary please pray:
- For comfort for the tens of thousands of prisoners of conscience in Eritrea – and that they would soon be released unconditionally.
- That the rights of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia will be upheld.
- For deliverance for Eritrean civilians and young conscripts who are being rounded up and forced to fight in Ethiopia.
- That those perpetrating severe human rights violations and crimes against humanity in Eritrea and Tigray will be held to account.
Join us online on 19 May to stand with our Eritrean friends in prayer and protest.
P.S. Last week we asked you to pray for a prayer event for the families of political prisoners in Cuba, due to take place on 29 and 30 April.
Since then, they have been forced to cancel the event after the government made repeated threats to the organisers and participants – but we want to show the Cuban authorities that they cannot cancel prayer.
- Pray with us for all who are being targeted by the government.
- Share our prayer posts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. This will help send a message to Cuba: that when one prayer meeting is cancelled, there are still thousands of Christians around the world who are standing alongside them in prayer.