wfn.org | AACC Condemns Persecution in Eritrea

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ALL AFRICA CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AACC Condemns Persecution in Eritrea

Rev. Dr. Kasonga wa Kasonga of the All Africa Conference of Church (AACC),
Theology and Mission Programs, has condemned persecution of Christians in
Eritrea, saying religion should not be used to divide people but to foster
harmony among individuals.

Rev. Kasonga was reacting to the alleged persecution of Christians in
Eritrea for which the Eritrean Church has accused their government for
orchestrating.

Rev. Kasonga said that the Christian church has always been a victim of
persecution wherever it found itself as the minority. Rev. Kasonga cited
the early church, the Church in the Soviet Union, China and other places.

Christians have been persecuted in many places in the world, said Rev.
Kasonga, adding, and some countries still continue to do so.

He observed that Christians have always faced hostility triggered by
ideological differences or faith adherence. He singled out Nigeria and
Sudan as some countries in Africa where religious conflicts have flared in
recent times.

Said Rev. Kasonga, The God we all worship does not want us to kill one
another in his own name and we therefore should not use religion as a tool
for manufacturing conflict but rather for peace making.

The Church in Eritrea has appealed to the international community to put
pressure on the Eritrean government to stop persecuting it. It has sent an
appeal to the Church in the United States of America to help in resolving
the plight of Eritrean Christians.

So far, since the beginning of this year alone, over 200 Christians have
been arrested in Ethiopia, pushing the total number of those so far
arrested to 555.

The All Africa Conference of Churches
"The Spiritual Pulse of the African Continent."

Founded in 1963, The All Africa Conference of Churches is an ecumenical
fellowship representing more than 120 million Christians in 39 African
countries working to make a difference in the lives of the people of Africa
through ministries of advocacy and presence on the continental, regional,
and local levels.