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
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