Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
«Eritrea is the country with less freedom in the world ». These words come not from someone who opposes president Isayas Afeworki or from the hated government of Ethiopia, instead they come from an official United Nations paper. The report, produced by an investigating human rights Commission which listened to the testimony of 550 Eritreans and examined 160 papers (but was not allowed to enter the country), accuses the Eritrean government of «systematic, widespread and grave violation of human rights», including torture, sexual violence, disappearances, forced labour. Eritrea is described as «The ‘North Korea’ of Africa » where democratic institutions and processes do not exist, nor does freedom of press, military service is indefinite and the country’s relations with all neighbour states are disastrous.
But how did this arise? The roots lie in the country's history (...)
AFRICA/KENYA - The Bishops: "People are losing trust in the government; we need to restore hope in Kenya"
ASIA/BANGLADESH - Archbishop of Dacca: "We have faith in the work of the interim government"
ASIA/INDIA - Violence returns to Manipur
AMERICA/PERU - “Being a Christian means following Jesus.” In memory of Father Gutierrez
ASIA/SRI LANKA - Economy recovers: poverty rate remains high, population calls for new presidential elections
AFRICA/GHANA- Bishops: "The President should sign the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill"
ASIA/INDONESIA - The population of Indonesian Papua opposes the new "Transmigrasi"
ASIA/INDIA - Law preventing free religious conversion in Karnataka is "contrary to the Constitution and human dignity"
ASIA/VIETNAM - State officials interrupt Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Hanoi
OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - The baptized do not want Christianity as a "state religion"
ASIA/INDONESIA - State and religion in Indonesia: the role of faith in public life
ASIA/PAKISTAN - Controversial Islamic preacher visits the Pakistani government