Christian woman in Darfur arrested for evangelizing

Hawa Abdalla Muhammad Saleh was arrested on May 9 in the Abu Shouk camp for Internally Displaced Persons in Al-Fashir. Authorities have accused her of possessing and distributing Bibles to others in the camp. Sources said she could also be tried for apostasy, which carries the death sentence in Sudan. Abdalla has been transferred to an unknown location in Khartoum, sources said, adding that they fear she could be tortured as she was detained and tortured for six days in 2009.

Please pray for Abdalla's release. Ask the Lord to give her the strength and grace she needs to withstand this current trial. Pray the Lord will protect and preserve her. Pray the Lord will use Abdalla's witness and testimony to strengthen the faith of other believers and act as a witness to Muslims.

Find out more about the obstacles facing believers in Sudan at the Sudan Country Report.

  • Country Information

    Population
    49,197,555 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Sudanese Arab (70), Fur, Beja, Nuba and Fallata (30)

    Religion
    Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority

    Leader
    President (to be determined)
    Transitional military leadership in place

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Sudan

    Pray that Christians throughout Sudan will continue to entrust themselves to Christ and preach the Gospel boldly, knowing Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth (2 Timothy 1:7-12, Revelation 1:5).

    Pray also that peace, justice and religious freedom may be firmly established.

Sudan News

  • Humanitarian Aid Denied to Muslim-Background Believers
    A group of people are gathered closely together under a rudimentary shelter made of poles and white cloth.
    Refugees in Sudan
    Photo: Flickr / EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (cc)

    Now in its eighth month, Sudan's civil war has displaced over six million people, many of whom were forced to take refuge in camps where food and other basic resources are scarce. Some humanitarian assistance has been provided to the country, which is then distributed through smaller local aid groups. According to a Christian ministry worker in the region, this aid has been denied to some displaced followers of Jesus.

  • Christians Wounded Amid Military Violence
    Coptic church and bell towers in Kosti, Sudan
    A Coptic church in Sudan.
    Photo: Wikipedia / Bertramz (cc)

    Five Christians were injured when unidentified gunmen entered a Coptic Orthodox church in Omdurman, Sudan, in the early morning hours of May 14th. Those wounded during the attack were Rev. Arsanius Zaria and his son, a church cantor, a guard and another parishioner. All five believers received hospital treatment and have since been released.

  • Church Leader Arrested on False Allegations
    A service at a chapel in Sudan.
    A chapel in Sudan.
    Photo: VOMC

    For two years, Abdalla Haroun Sulieman lived in Lebanon. Upon returning to Sudan in February 2022, Abdalla declared that he had come to faith in Christ. While sharing his newfound faith with the people of his community, he also prayed with them, frequently asking God to minister healing to those struggling with infirmities.

  • Apostasy Charges Added to Christian Couple's Case
    Blurred faces of Nada and Hamouda
    Nada and Hamouda
    Photo: ADF International

    Hamouda Teya Kaffi and his wife Nada Hamad Koko have been facing ongoing problems since he first came to faith in Christ during 2018. Since it was unlawful for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man, Nada's family initially forced her to have the marriage annulled by an Islamic court. At the time, Hamouda could have been accused of apostasy, an offence punishable by death, but he was fortunately spared of any criminal charges.