ERITREAN AMBASSADOR IN KENYA COMPLICIT IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000526

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E AND DRL/IRF
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2018
TAGS: KIRF PREL PROP PHUM PGOV KE ER
SUBJECT: ERITREAN AMBASSADOR IN KENYA COMPLICIT IN
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM VIOLATIONS

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Former Eritrean Orthodox Bishop Hadgu
Gebrehimanot (protect) gave visiting Embassy Asmara PolOff a
detailed description of his harassment and assault by
Eritrean embassy officials in Nairobi, including reported
threats from Eritrean Ambassador Saleh Umar. According to
Bishop Hagdu, the Eritrean embassy demanded control of the
church's financial resources and the bishop's refusal led to
his assault by embassy officials. Bishop Hadgu is currently
hiding in a safe location in Nairobi. End Summary.


2. (C) Bishop Hadgu arrived in Nairobi in October 2006 to
take charge of the Eritrean Orthodox Church of Kenya and its
nearly 1,500 congregates. Hadgu is the fourth bishop in five
years to be appointed to Nairobi by the now-deposed patriarch
of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, Abune Antonios. The GSE
sacked the previous three bishops and possibly imprisoned
them upon their return to Asmara. Soon after his arrival,
Bishop Hadgu began investigating a substantial accounting
discrepancy in the church's finances. When the bishop
approached the Eritrean embassy about the shortfall, the
ambassador warned him to not investigate the matter further.
The ambassador also allegedly demanded a large sum of hard
currency from the church.


3. (C) On September 13, 2008, the bishop, who lived on the
church compound, saw the ambassador and several accomplices
place a padlock on the church. The accomplices then broke
into tWeWbishop's resiWeWce and assaulted him and the
housekeeper, threatening him with knives, and stealing
180,000 Kenyan shillings ($2,571). Two of the bishop's aides
witnessed the crime and called Kenyan police. The police
took Bishop Hadgu a police station, where he filed his
report, and then to a Catholic-run facility for refugees from
the region, where he is believed to be safe. The bishop
claimed the police did not arrest the assailants because
Ambassador Saleh had bribed them in advance. The bishop said
he put this statement in his police report as well.


4. (C) COMMENT: Bishop Hadgu's story is not uncommon.
Eritrean embassies are largely self-financing and serve as
collection points for coerced donations from the diaspora.
Post believes the church's missing finances ended up in the
hands of the Eritrean embassy, as this is in keeping with
GSE's practice in Eritrea of controlling all Orthodox Church
collection boxes. The bishop's story provides the first
evidence of an Eritrean government official being directly
involved not only in the forced collection of such funds, but
also in the harassment and physical abuse that accompany
refusal to comply. End Comment.


5. (SBU) Note: Asmara PolOff Ajani Husbands developed this
report during a professional development TDY to Nairobi.
This cable was coordinated with Embassy Nairobi.
MCMULLEN