Extremists demolish Pentecostal Church buildings in Khartoum

Dozens of extremists accompanied by members of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and police officers demolished the Pentecostal Church premises in El Haj Yousif, El Shegla in Khartoum on 8 July.

The group completely destroyed the church, its administrative offices, guest house and other facilities and attached buildings. The church was originally constructed in the early 1990s.

The security situation in Khartoum had begun to stabilise after the SAF declared the city ‘completely liberated’ from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in May 2025. However, fighting and attacks on civilians have intensified in other parts of the country, including in Darfur and the nation’s second city, Omdurman.

Both the RSF and SAF have been responsible for attacks on places of worship since the two forces entered into conflict in April 2023. In December 2024 an SAF airstrike on a church in Khartoum led to the deaths of 11 people, including eight children. In June 2025 the RSF bombed the Sudanese Episcopal Church, the African Inland Church and the Roman Catholic Church in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, in the space of two days.

CSW’s CEO Scot Bower said: ‘CSW condemns the demolition of the Pentecostal Church buildings in Khartoum, which appears to have taken place with the support of the authorities in an area controlled by the SAF. Intentional attacks on places dedicated to religion are grave crimes under the Rome Statute. We call on all parties to the ongoing conflict in the country to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and refrain from attacks on places of worship, which often double as places of refuge for displaced civilians. We continue to call for a full, immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and urge the international community to increase efforts to pressure both parties to agree to this.’