Eritrea continues persecution of Christian groups

Addis Ababa, November 27 (WIC) - Eritrea's government has launched a fresh crackdown on Christians with reports that at least 110 evangelical believers have been detained since last week, BosNewsLife reported quoting a well-informed rights group on Wednesday.

The Christians were arrested "in all parts of the country" except for the capital, Asmara, according to the report.

Open Doors, which has been in close contacts with Christians in Eritrea, said names of Christians were apparently given to authorities by informants who infiltrated churches in the country. Those detained include 65 members of the evangelical Kale Hiwot Church, who were taken into custody in the towns of Barentu and Dekemhare.

In the towns of Keren and Mendefera some 25 members of the Full Gospel Church were detained, while in Mendefera and Adi-Kuala police arrested about 20 members of the Church of the Living God.

The source said it was not clear if the detainees were transported to a new military "concentration camp" known as Mitire, which has been set up to accommodate Christians.

Already some 2,000 Christians are detained in Eritrea, including in controversial prisons, police buildings, military camps and even containers. Some have been held for years without a fair trial, the news agency said.