‘Sudan is facing one of the fastest unfolding crises globally,’ said UN experts in February this year. They estimated that 25 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with over 14 million children among that incomprehensible number. We must not forget their suffering amid the other urgent crises around the world, and must continue praying and advocating for peace.
Sudan has been in a state of crisis since April 2023, when conflict broke out between two factions of the ruling military junta: the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese ArmedForces (SAF). The violence began just days before they were due to merge as part of a planned transition to democracy.
In the year since then, it is Sudan’s civilians who have suffered most, bearing the brunt of air strikes and some of the gravest crimes under international law.
Churches under fire
Christians are particularly vulnerable, with reports of attacks on clergy, the bombing of churches by both warring parties, and the seizure of religious buildings for use as military bases.
For example, the SAF shelled and completely destroyed the largest church in Omdurman on 1 November.
On 12 January the Evangelical Church in Wad Madani was set on fire and partially destroyed by members of the RSF.
The church is the biggest and one of the oldest in Gezira State, which has been controlled by the RSF since December 2023. It is considered a high value target and is next door to an Evangelical school that the previous regime attempted to seize.
Fortunately, the church was empty at the time of the attack. However, this means that the only way the culprits would have been able to break into the building and set it on fire would have been with the knowledge of the RSF.
After the attack, CSW spoke to Reverend Yahia Nalu, Chairman of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Synod, who told us: ‘All they did was destroy the building, not the church. The
building is not the church because the church is in the souls of believers.’
Reverend Nalu’s words are inspiring, but he also believes that the situation is likely to get worse.
‘The situation is alarming, and we are apprehensive that these violations will continue and expand, not only to buildings but to target the servants of the Lord. We need everyone’s solidarity and prayers to the Lord for saving the Christians in Sudan and giving them peace and reassurance.’
‘They shot my son’
Faced with similar violations, many Christians have fled the country over the past year. Among them is Father Arsenius, priest of the Al-Masalma Coptic Church in Omdurman which was attacked by RSF gunmen last May.
The attackers shot Father Arsenius’ son in front of him and threatened to do the same to him if he did not accept Islam. ‘They shot my son, and he was lying down in front of me and heavily bleeding,’ he explained in a TV interview after he fled to Egypt. ‘I rushed to help him and told them this is my son, but they did not allow me and threatened me to shoot him if I tried to help him.’
‘The person in charge put his Kalashnikov down, took his knife, and passed it on up from my neck to my kidney. He threatened to shoot me if I did not accept Islam. I refused and
said if God wants me to die by your bullet, His will is above us.’
Thankfully, Father Arsenius’ son later received treatment at a private hospital and has since recovered. Many in Sudan still need our prayers.
Prayer and advocacy
CSW had called, alongside other NGOs, for the creation of an independent fact-finding mission on Sudan as a matter of urgency. Encouragingly, the UN established a fact-finding mission in October 2023, which began work in January 2024, but it remains short of funding.
One of its key tasks is to investigate and analyse evidence of human rights violations during the conflict, with a view to ensuring accountability for those responsible. It is due to report its initial findings at the June-July session of UN Human Rights Council, before a comprehensive report at the September-October session.
You can join us in praying for this important work; that it will be funded sufficiently and supported by UN member states, bring to light the suffering that is currently unseen and contribute significantly towards peace, justice and accountability.
We also ask you to pray for those facing specific violations because of their religion or belief: ‘We request special prayers for the little remaining servants of the Lord in Sudan who are doing a great job,’ says Reverend Nalu. ‘Please pray to the Lord to give them strength and put food on their tables as they have no income or savings. We finally request prayers for rebuilding these destroyed and burned churches.’
Crisis in context:
13 December 2018
Protests begin in Blue Nile State and soon spread across Sudan.
22 February 2019
President Omar al-Bashir declares a one-year state of emergency in response to continuing protests.
11 April 2019
President Bashir is removed from power by the army, bringing an end to three decades of oppressive rule characterised by severe and widespread human rights violations.
3 June 2019
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) use heavy gunfire and tear gas to disperse a sit-in by protestors in Khartoum, killing over 100 people. Many female and several male protestors are raped.
August 2019
A transitional, civilian- led government is appointed and expected to run for 39 months to move Sudan towards democracy, marking a brief period of hope for change.
July 2020
The death penalty is abolished for apostasy (leaving one’s religion), and it is subsequently decriminalised. This is one of the few positive steps forward made during the transitional period.
25 October 2021
The Sudanese military seizes power in a coup, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He declares a state of emergency and claims that the military intends to hold power until elections in July 2023.
July 2022
Four men are charged with apostasy, despite it being decriminalised in 2020, indicating a deterioration in the situation of human rights following the coup.
15 April 2023
Conflict breaks out between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which plunges the country into humanitarian crisis.
Pray for Sudan using p.5 of the Prayer Diary.
Latest updates: csw.org.uk/sudan