Eritrea and the UIC

Isn't it ironic that the Eritrean government, a regime that has promoted itself as a leader in opposing Islamist terrorism, has publicly stated that it believes that evangelical Christians are as dangerous as al-Qaida and has accused me and others who defend the religious rights of Christians in the country of being terrorists, is now providing military support for the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in Somalia, according to a confidential UN briefing paper? This is a group that observers from both within and outside of Somalia believe is linked with al-Qaida and represents a clear and present threat to security in the region.

I understand how a common enemy (in this case, Ethiopia) can create odd bedfellows. But for Eritrea to claim that it opposes Islamist terrorism while it arms and provides troops to a group committed to establishing a Taliban-style government in Somalia only further demonstrates the moral deficiency of President Isaias Afwerki's regime.

It is worth noting that although the Eritrean government is secular in nature, it does share one other common enemy with the Islamists in Somalia; Christians. Both have expressed a hatred for the followers of Christ and a desire to remove them from the country. Pray for Christians in the Horn of Africa. This is a region where The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada has been active for the past several years and where we are currently seeking God's guidance in finding new avenues of supporting the Church there.