Eritrea has banned female circumcision, alife-threatening tradition that aid groups say afflicts 90 per cent of thecountry's women.

Agovernment statement issued on Thursday said anyone who requested, took part inor promoted the practice faced a fine of several hundred dollars or up to 10years in jail.

"Female circumcisionis a procedure that seriously endangers the health of women, causes themconsiderable pain and suffering besides threatening their lives," thestatement said.

"Whosoever requests,incites or promotes female circumcision ... shall be punishable with a fine andimprisonment."

The bantook effect on March 31, it said.

Crudeinstruments

Femalecircumcision, also called female genital mutilation (FGM), is widespread in theHorn of Africa and involves cutting off the clitoris and other parts of thefemale genitalia. 

There aredegrees of severity and many practitioners are untrained and use crudeinstruments.

"FGMis a deep-rooted culture and it needs a persistent continuous effort [to haltit]," Luul Ghebreab, president of National Union of Eritrean Women, said. 

"Wedo not believe [this ban] will automatically eradicate circumcision, but surelyit will play a role." 

Up to 140million women and girls worldwide are estimated to have undergone femalecircumcision, and UN agencies estimate that another three million a year aresubjected to it.

A healthsurvey by Eritrea'sgovernment in 2002 found that 62 per cent of circumcised women in the Red Sea state had the procedure done beforetheir first birthday. Less than one per cent had been performed by people withmedical training.