According to Eritrean Catholic bishops quoted by Crux Now on 18 June 2019: "All health facilities run by the Catholic Church in Eritrea have been
seized by the government".
Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, gives some background information: "This is an act of retaliation by the government after Catholic bishops in April 2019 boldly called for a truth and reconciliation plan to be set up and for perpetrators to admit their crimes. This aggressive reaction by the government should be seen in the context of the increasing opposition it is facing from various quarters. For instance, there is a social media campaign gaining momentum - #Yiakil, which translates as "˜enough is enough" - demanding political change in the country. Also, a growing number of influential artists and others are speaking out. One example is a recent
protest song by Korchach, one of the most famous musicians in the country, in which the singer addresses the government saying in one verse: "˜Your level of evil is becoming unacceptable-"."
Yonas Dembele continues: "On top of this there is the mass exodus of the younger generation; many Eritreans have taken the opportunity offered by the open border with Ethiopia and can now see how badly Eritrea"s economy is faring in comparison. After the removal of President al-Bashir in Sudan, there are now increasing calls for similar action to be taken in Eritrea. All the above factors are putting pressure on President Isaias Afwerki and hence the call by the bishops for
reconciliation and healing is seen by the government as a clear demand for his removal (Crux Now, 1 May 2019)."
