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Burkinabe Christians
forced to flee
As jihadist violence continues to plague Burkina Faso, Christians are calling
for urgent prayer. Many have been displaced by attacks on communities by
militants and are living in camps for IDPs (internally displaced people).
On a recent trip to Burkina Faso a Release International team met a number of
believers who had been affected by the violence, including one woman whose
husband, a pastor, had been killed in his church.
Jihadists are cleansing villages and small towns of people who don’t agree with
their thinking or with the Sharia (Islamic law) they want to impose, forcing
more Christians to flee to safer areas.
The military Government, which had promised to restore civilian rule in July
2024, has now extended its control for another five years, the BBC reported.
However, according to the BBC, the regime has been accused by international
and human rights groups, including the European Union and UN, of serious
human rights violations in its fight against the insurgency, including the
indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of civilians.
• See enclosed Prayer Shield for specific requests relating to believers in
Burkina Faso.
(Sources include: BBC and Release International partners)
Eritrean church leader
dies in prison
One of the founding fathers of the Full Gospel
Church in Eritrea has died in prison. Reverend
Ghirmay Araya (pictured), who was aged 83, was
arrested along with other church leaders in 2004.
Ghirmay, who suffered from diabetes and related
illnesses, was never charged with any crime.
The Eritrean regime banned the Full Gospel
Church along with many others in 2002.
Release International partners said thousands
of Eritreans had been imprisoned for their faith since that time, some of
whom had died from torture and untreated illness.
They added: ‘Rev Ghirmay was among these and endured his suffering with
steadfast faith.’
Ghirmay was arrested again in 2021 and held in the maximum-security
Wengel Mermera Central Criminal Investigation Centre, along with other
church leaders. Some had been detained for 20 years.
One of Ghirmay’s sons has also been imprisoned for his faith for the past
seven years. Sources said he was being kept in a shipping container, a
practice long condemned by Release International. Although they were in
the same prison, father and son had no opportunity to meet, and the son
was not even aware of his father’s death.
Our partner, Dr Berhane Asmelash, said: ‘I’m deeply saddened by Rev
Ghirmay’s death, and express my heartfelt condolences to his wife, their
children and his extended family.
‘Rev Ghirmay served the church diligently for more than 60 years in both
Eritrea and Ethiopia. His ministry extended across the Orthodox, Lutheran,
and finally Full Gospel churches.’ Ghirmay is survived by five children and
13 grandchildren.
Dr Asmelash expressed concerned for the welfare of the hundreds of
other Christian prisoners currently in Eritrean jails. ‘Many are getting on
in age and suffer from various health conditions.’
Called to be a prisoner, page 14
Listen to our
latest podcasts
COURAGE TO BE A LIGHT For a number
of years now Release International has
supported persecuted Christians who have
fled to the safer haven of the Kurdistan region
in northern Iraq. In this edition of Release
International’s Voice podcast we speak to Ano
Jawhar, a Christian politician in Kurdistan,
who talks to us about past persecution,
the present nature of the region – and the
dangerous mindset of militant groups such as
Islamic State.
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY? ‘We still have
windows of opportunity [and] it is our
obligation before the Lord to pray for them
and support them.’ In many parts of our
world today Christians continue to pay a
high price for following Jesus Christ. In this
edition we speak to Pavel, our partner for
countries in Central Asia. Listen in as we
talk about the current situation in Ukraine
and how Christians are faring under Russian
occupation. And, we talk about Pavel’s
ongoing work today supporting persecuted
Christians in Central Asia.
WHEN YOUR FAITH BECOMES ILLEGAL Eritrea
is a country where it is extremely difficult to
be an evangelical Christian; a country where
evangelising – and even praying in meetings
– can be dangerous activities. In this podcast
we speak to our Eritrean partner, Dr Berhane
Asmelash, who explains the background to
the situation in that country and what it is
like being a Christian there. Dr Asmelash
reminds us of the story of Luul and his family,
who now live in the UK.
PERSECUTION TRENDS 2024 Persecution
has always been one of the ways the powers
of darkness seek to stop the spread of the
gospel. That’s why it’s important that we
pray. But to pray with understanding we need
to know who to pray for and what to pray
for. We need to be informed. In this edition
of the Voice podcast we speak to Release
International’s Tom Hardie, who edits our
quarterly Voice magazine and compiled this
year’s annual Persecution Trends report.