Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ASMARA1058
2006-12-21 14:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:  

GSE TIGHTENS CONTROL ON OFFICIAL RELIGIOUS

Tags:  PHUM PGOV KIRF ER 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASMARA 001058 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KIRF ER
SUBJECT: GSE TIGHTENS CONTROL ON OFFICIAL RELIGIOUS
INSTITUTIONS

REF: ASMARA 275

Classified By: AMB. Scott H. DeLisi for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASMARA 001058

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KIRF ER
SUBJECT: GSE TIGHTENS CONTROL ON OFFICIAL RELIGIOUS
INSTITUTIONS

REF: ASMARA 275

Classified By: AMB. Scott H. DeLisi for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Since the middle of November, the Government
of the State of Eritrea (GSE) has sought to increase its
level of control over the four official religious
institutions in Eritrea. The GSE has directed all four
institutions ) the Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran
Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Church and the Islamic
institution ) to submit the names of all religious
leaders/priests in order to enroll them into national and
military service. To date, all but the Catholic Church have
complied with the request. The Catholic Church has said they
intend to formally refuse the GSE's directive but have
offered to work with the GSE to find a compromise solution.
The GSE also has ordered the Eritrean Orthodox Church to turn
over its weekly offering and tithes to the government. While
the GSE has a history of intrusion into the operations of
religious institutions, these new directives mark a new low
of government infringement on the freedom of religious
practice in-country. END SUMMARY.

--------------
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAYS NO
--------------


2. (C) Over the past two years, the GSE has accused the
Catholic Church of hiding young men in the seminaries,
congregations and priesthood as a means to keep them out of
national and military service. The Bishop of Asmara, Abune
Menghesteab Tesfamarion, repeatedly has denied these
allegations. As he explained to Poloff, harboring
individuals in church institutions who do not have a true
calling to serve God harms the integrity of the Church and is
a poor use of already scarce resources.


3. (C) In a December 18 meeting with the Ambassador, the head
of the Catholic Secretariat, Father Abba Uqbagaber
Woldeghiorghis(protect),said the Catholic Church had
received a letter in late November from the GSE Office of
Religious Affairs. The letter requested the names of all
seminarians, priests and other young men serving the Church
for the purposes of fulfilling their national and military

service obligations. He added that the three other official
religious institutions had received similar requests and
subsequently complied. In a letter response sent the first
week of December and signed by Bishop Meghesteab, the
Catholic Church stated they would provide the names of the
seminarians (approximately 200 young men),if the GSE would
provide the start and end dates the young men would be
expected to serve in either the national or military service.
However, for the nearly 120 priests, military service is a
violation of their holy orders and contrary to canon law.
The Bishop further noted in the letter that for the priests,
the Church would be willing to discuss with the GSE a form of
alternate, non-military, national service. Father Uqbagaber
told the Ambassador "we are not refusing" the GSE directive
but rather seeking to find a compromise that works for both
the Catholic Church and the GSE. Unless the GSE agrees to
the Church's conditions, they will not provide a list of
priests and seminarians. To date, the GSE has not responded
to the letter.


4. (C) The Catholic Church seems well aware of its
vulnerability to possible GSE reprisals for its stance.
Father Uqbagaber shared his concerns that the church leaders
could be arrested, including the Bishops of Asmara, Keren and
Barentu. In an aside with Poloff, Uqbagaber also commented
that the GSE had begun to question the presence of Catholic
foreign missionaries in Eritrea, many of whom have been
resident in the country for decades. In some cases, the GSE
is making it difficult for the missionaries, primarily nuns,
to obtain residency permits and international support for
their operations. In a separate conversation with Poloff,
the British Ambassador mentioned that he had spoken with
Bishop Menghesteab(protect) on December 11. Menghesteab
speculated that the GSE might attempt to depose and replace
the Catholic Church leadership, similar to their actions in

ASMARA 00001058 002 OF 003


January 2006 when they replaced the Patriarch of the Eritrean
Orthodox Church with lay administrator Yoftahe
Demetros(reftel).

--------------
THE OTHER RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS COMPLY
--------------


5. (C) Post has heard from multiple sources that the other
three official religious institutions have complied without
protest to the GSE directive. (Note: While post has no
specific details on the Islamic institutions, reliable
reports indicate that they did receive a letter and submitted
the requested names. End Note.) The Eritrean Orthodox Church
provided the GSE a list of all priests under the age of 50.
These priests, who in the past were not required to
participate in national and military service, will be
required to do training, either at the facility at Sawa in
western Eritrea or at Wia in the Southern Red Sea district.
Reportedly, lay administrator Demetros will hand-select a
number of priests to remain in the Orthodox churches to
continue the operations and worship services of the churches.
At one of the largest churches in Asmara, St. Mary's, the
number of priests may be reduced from 120 to 30.


6. (C) The officially registered Evangelical Lutheran Church
also handed over their small list of 10-15 pastors. In a
December 18 meeting with Poloff, Rev. Zacharias Abraham of
the unregistered Evangelical Presbyterian Church relayed the
substance of a conversation between the head of the Norwegian
Church Aid delegation (NCA) and the head of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church, Rev. Asfaha Mehari. (Nte: Rev. Zacharias
said he had been told this information by NCA
representatives. The Reverend's father was a leader in the
Evangelical Lutheran Church and he continues to maintain ties
with this church. End Note.) The NCA representatives pressed
Rev. Asfaha about the decision to turn over the names, as
military service by pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran
Church is also proscribed by the church rules. Rev. Asfaha
reportedly responded that the service of the nation
supersedes church requirements.

-------------- --------------
GSE DIPS INTO OFFERINGS AND TITHES OF ORTHODOX CHURCH
-------------- --------------


7. (C) In a proclamation reportedly issued on December 5, the
GSE demanded that all offerings and tithes collected by the
Orthodox Church, the largest religious institution in
Eritrea, be deposited in a GSE bank account. Local parishes
no longer have keys to the offering boxes and the money is
collected weekly by the central church administration. While
in the past the local churches used the offerings to cover
church expenses and charities, including the priests,
salaries, the monthly salaries will now be paid by the GSE.
Once the church congregations became aware of the changes,
they showed their objections in their own way. Poloff was
told that the offerings at St. Mary,s in Asmara dropped from
an average of 75,000 nakfa (USD 5000) to 6000 nakfa (USD 400)
within one week. (Note: A few opposition and religious
freedom websites have similar reports of the recent changes
within the Orthodox Church. End note.)

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) Comment: Post believes that these latest directives,
like most decisions here, come from the highest levels of the
GSE. The GSE's latest maneuvers track with a continuing
trend of increased government control over all aspects of
Eritrean society and GSE efforts to eliminate any perceived
threats to its authority. That three of the four official
religious institutions seemingly complied, immediately and
without protest, with directives running directly against the
strictures of their organizations indicates the success of
repeated government intimidation of religious organizations
in Eritrea. The Catholic Church leaders are taking a
courageous and risky stand by refusing to cooperate with the

ASMARA 00001058 003 OF 003


GSE directive. With possible arrests of the bishops, closing
of the churches or even the placement of a
government-approved bishop in the Church, potential
consequences are severe. From Post's perspective, the human
rights situation in regard to religious freedom, and in other
areas as well, continues to deteriorate. We will be
proposing in septels a more aggressive posture by the USG in
response. We look forward to working closely with Washington
in reviewing options for both advancing the human rights
agenda and, as necessary, exposing the true face of the
Eritrean regime. End Comment.
DELISI