Eritrea’s condemns seizure of Roman Catholic church properties

Eritrea’s Roman catholic church has condemned the government for seizing and shutting all its health centres in the country.

In a letter to the ministry of health, the church says patients were ordered to go home, health workers were intimidated and soldiers were positioned at the centres.

The letter adds that the social services the church provided in Eritrea could not be construed as an act of opposing the government and state.

The church runs 22 health centres in Eritrea and their closure could leave thousands of people, mostly mothers and their children in rural areas, without health care.

Stakeholders believe the government seized the health centres in retaliation to the church’s letter in April which called for reforms to stem the tide of migration to Europe.

However, the government has not confirmed the seizure of the health facilities, and has not commented on the letter.