TROUBLED TIMES FOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000338

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI KIRF ER
SUBJECT: TROUBLED TIMES FOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

REF: 06 ASMARA 1058

Classified By: AMBASSADOR SCOTT H. DELISI FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) The Catholic Church continues to endure harassment and
pressure from the Government of Eritrea (GSE) as the GSE
insists that priests and seminarians participate in military
training. In a meeting with Emboff on March 26, the Catholic
Bishop of Asmara, Menghesteab Tesfamarian (protect) said he
was recently visited by the head of the Office of Religious
Affairs, Semare Beyin. In this meeting Semare again pressed
Bishop Menghisteab to comply with the GSE request and provide
the list of priests and seminarians. Semare reportedly told
Bishop Menghesteab that the "Orthodox, Protestants and the
Muslims have all agreed." Bishop Menghesteab told Emboff he
will not/not provide the list as military service violates
the vows of the priests and seminarians and he is prepared
for whatever the consequences may be, including detention or
his removal by the GSE as head of the Catholic Church.


2. (C) While the priests and seminarians of the Catholic
Church continue their face-off with the GSE, the GSE summoned
the foreign missionaries of all the Catholic orders to a
meeting to discuss their residency permits. As reported
reftel, the foreign missionaries, primarily nuns, had been
facing difficulties for the past five to six months in
obtaining renewed residency permits from the Immigration
Office. Upon receiving the letter from Immigration,
according to the Italian Deputy Chief of Mission, Marco
Lapadura, the foreign missionaries in discussion with
Eritrean Catholic Secretariat decided not to attend the
meeting. In the past, these meetings were opportunities for
Immigration to present individuals with notification of their
expulsion from Eritrea. Thus, the Catholic Secretariat
responded in writing and the GSE provided them with a 30-day
reprieve. One of the American nuns told Emboff that she
anticipated this 30-day period to be a grace period and that
she was preparing for her departure. In all, nine nuns and
two monks from various orders, including the Ursaline,
Capuchines and Filippini, are facing expulsion. The
nationality breakdown is: six Italian citizens, one Mexican
citizen, one Columbian citizen and three American citizens.


3. (C) The justification for the expulsion remains unclear.
A 2002 GSE proclamation does exist, stating that all foreign
missionaries are permitted to remain in Eritrea for up to two
years. According to Father Abraha (protect) of the Asmara
Catholic Cathedral, the intent is for foreigners to come to
Eritrea, train Eritreans and then leave. Yet, up until now,
the GSE has not applied the proclamation. One monk
postulated to Lapadura that the GSE decision is an extension
of the 2005 NGO proclamation and part of the GSE's efforts to
remove all foreign "eyes and ears" from the country.


4. (C) COMMENT: The Catholic Church's refusal to provide the
list of seminarians and priests to the GSE may lead
eventually to more serious troubles for the leadership of the
Catholic Church, including the arrest or removal of the
current bishop. The GSE request to the foreign missionaries
falls in line with its on-going efforts to limit the number
of community organizations, such as NGOs, run by foreigners
in Eritrea. The GSE already restricts travel by foreigners
in Eritrea, and the decision to remove the nuns and monks who
have direct access to the people appears to be a continuation
of GSE policy to control what the outside world may learn
about what is really happening in the country. We anticipate
the GSE's policy of limiting and controlling social
institutions to continue as the GSE continues to maintain its
tight control over Eritrean society. End Comment.
DeLisi