Perpetrator of December 2022 church arson attack arrested

The perpetrator of a December 2022 arson attack on a church in Doka, Gedaref State in east Sudan has been arrested and is expected to face trial on 13 April.

Yasin Ahmed Haroun, a member of Sudan’s army, is accused of burning down a church belonging to the Sudan Church of Christ (SCOC) denomination, which had been a place of worship since 1991, on 16 December 2022. He will appear before Al Galabat Criminal Court on 13 April, and faces charges under Articles 127 and 182 of the Criminal Act (Defiling and Disturbing Places of Worship and Criminal Mischief).

Shortly after the attack took place, church leaders filed a criminal case with the local prosecutor naming Haroun, who had been spotted fleeing following the attack. The prosecutor requested that the military surrender him for their investigations; however, military officials initially stated that they had no-one by that name in their ranks. They were eventually obliged to hand him over to the authorities after the case went viral on social media.

The SCOC is a predominantly Nuba denomination which has experienced both religious and ethnic discrimination.

CSW’s Head of Advocacy Dr Khataza Gondwe said: ‘The arrest of Yasin Ahmed Haroun is a welcome development. CSW particularly commends the application of Article 127 for the first time following an attack on a church, and calls on the authorities in Gedaref State to ensure due process is followed. While their initial attempts to shield the perpetrator remain concerning, we urge the military authorities to honour the spirit of the framework agreement by refraining from any interference in the legal process and allowing justice to run its full course.’

Note to Editors:

1. On 5 December 2022 the Sudanese military coup leaders and certain political groups signed a framework agreement for a transition towards civilian government. The agreement has been criticised for not being sufficiently inclusive, and failing to address significant areas of contention, such as transitional justice and security.