Christians under fire in Khartoum

There have been several attacks on Christians in Sudan's Khartoum region in recent weeks.


The wall of this Christian compound was recently
destroyed by Muslim extremists.
Photo: Compass Direct News

On April 21, a church building in Sawafi was attacked by a mob provoked by a radical Muslim leader. Security forces stopped the mob. However, some found an alternate route, enabling them to ransack and burn down the building. The same day, a Bible School located on a church compound in Al-Gereif was badly damaged in an arson attack by a Muslim mob. The church had received threats of violence in late March and early April. Office equipment, library resources, and students' personal belongings were destroyed.

On April 19, in Burri, a group of 130 university students of South Sudanese origin were detained and given seven days to leave Sudan after being accused of celebrating South Sudan's invasion of the Heglig oil field within South Kordofan province. The students denied that they had held any such celebration. The day before, churches in Al-Baraka, Dar el Salam, and Takamul districts received notice that their properties would be demolished because of lack of structural integrity. Church leaders complained that the Ministry of Planning and Urban Development had not informed them of required changes to the buildings. Church leaders have reportedly been informally notified that the orders have been reversed.

Meanwhile, the April 8 deadline for those of South Sudanese origin (many of whom are Christian) to leave Sudan following the secession of South Sudan in July 2011 has been postponed for 30 days (for more information on the deadline, click here).

Pray that Christians in Khartoum will know the peace, presence and protection of Jesus. Pray that the detained students will be released. Pray that all demolition orders will be officially withdrawn. Please ask God that church leaders will know the Spirit's guidance and wisdom at this time.

For more information on the trials Christians face in Sudan, go to 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.

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Sudan News

  • Church Leaders Face Violence from Multiple Sides
    A large church with several spires.
    A church in Sudan.
    Photo: Flickr / David Stanley (cc)

    The bishop of the El-Obeid diocese in Sudan recently suffered a harrowing ordeal at the hands of both members of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and those of the opposing rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF). On December 1st, Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali reported that he was travelling with a deacon named Joseph. The ministry team had just arrived in El-Obeid when they were suddenly stopped and harassed by the SAF. The troops seized the small sum of money in U.S. dollars that the bishop was carrying, claiming that it was forbidden currency. During the robbery, the soldiers also physically harmed the two men.

    Read more...

  • Displaced Christians Driven From Their Homes
    A large group of people are gathered around a small mosque.
    A group of people in Sudan.
    Photo: Wikipedia / Nina R (cc)

    Residents of the Al-Makniya area of Sudan's River Nile state drove 34 displaced Christians from their homes on October 19th. Those responsible for the displacement explained that they did not want any Christians nor black people in the area.

    Read more...

  • Military Officers Arrest Christian Refugees
    A group of men are standing together. They appear to be singing.
    Photo: VOMC
     

    Amid the ongoing civil war in Sudan, a group of over 100 Sudanese men, women and children travelled to the city of Shendi on the banks of the Nile River in search of refuge from the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, RSF. There, the refugees – most of whom are members of the Sudanese Church of Christ – sought shelter in an affiliated church building.

    Read more...

  • 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.

    Read more...

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Sudan Videos

 
The Persecution of Muslim-Background Believers in Sudan and the Middle East: An Interview with Dr. Yassir Eric
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Sudan: New Threat to Religious Freedom After Coup
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Sudan: Arrested for Missionary Work
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Sudan: Update on Loka School
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