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.
During the attack, the assailants reportedly stormed the church building, calling those present "infidels" and "sons of dogs," and ordered the Christians to convert to Islam. They then demanded money, before proceeding to loot and damage the building. While the attackers wore scarves to conceal their identities, witnesses have stated that some of them were wearing uniform items from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that is presently fighting against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). These two parties have been battling for control of the country since April 15th. However, both sides of the conflict deny any involvement in this particular incident.
Due to the extreme violence, most foreign nationals have been evacuated from the country, and nearly 1.4 million Sudanese people have fled for safety. At least 730 people have been killed since the start of the civil war, and over 5,000 were wounded. In addition, places of worship have been violated during the fighting, and Christians have been left uncertain about the future as their lives crumble amidst the ongoing destruction. As governments from around the world were evacuating their citizens, advocates called on the international community to monitor the situation, fearful that human rights abuses may worsen without a watchful eye.
Pray that the violence, which has been spurred on by internal factions seeking to control the country, will soon come to an end so a peaceful resolution may be achieved. Furthermore, pray that the fighting would not be used as a cover-up for committing religious violence. Continue to prayerfully uphold our Christian brothers and sisters remaining in Sudan, asking God to ensure their safety, as well as the provisions required to meet their spiritual and practical needs.
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