Churchgoers are being targeted.
A recent attack by militants from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during a prayer gathering has left 14 Christians injured in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state. The assault took place in Al Hasaheisa, where 177 members of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) were praying for an end to the ongoing military conflict. According to Joseph Suliman, the church’s secretary, the RSF militants suspected the congregation of supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), leading to the violent disruption of the service. Among the injured was an 18-year-old, Mina Joseph, who sustained serious injuries. The militants also vandalized the church by destroying furniture during the attack.
Since April 2023, the RSF has been engaged in a brutal conflict with the SAF, with both factions accused of various human rights violations. Reports indicate that the RSF has frequently targeted civilians, accusing them of siding with the SAF. The Al Jazirah Conference, a local civil society organization, estimates that RSF forces have displaced residents from hundreds of villages in the state. Tensions escalated further after a key RSF leader defected to the SAF in October, sparking retaliatory violence that has displaced over 500,000 people and resulted in hundreds of deaths.
The ongoing power struggle between RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and SAF General Abdelfattah al-Burhan has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Both military leaders were initially part of a transitional government formed after the overthrow of former dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. However, disagreements over the timeline for integrating the RSF into the regular military led to a breakdown in the democratic transition framework. Since then, violence has displaced millions and left tens of thousands dead, according to the United Nations.
Sudan’s history of religious persecution remains a significant concern. After brief improvements in religious freedom following Bashir’s removal, the military coup in October 2021 reintroduced fears of state-sponsored persecution. Despite early reforms that repealed harsh Islamic laws, including apostasy punishable by death, the situation has since deteriorated. Sudan ranks eighth on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of countries where Christians face severe persecution. The U.S. State Department had previously removed Sudan from its list of Countries of Particular Concern in 2019 due to these reforms, but recent events suggest a return to repression.
With a Christian population of about 2 million in a predominantly Muslim nation, Christians in Sudan continue to face systemic discrimination and violence. The return of Islamist governance, coupled with ongoing military strife, has heightened concerns about religious freedom and the safety of minority communities.