Man Faces Ultimate Test Of Faith
A young man in Sudan’s Darfur region was disowned by his Muslim family after converting to Christianity. The man, who had embraced Christianity in January of the previous year, faced serious threats from a local Muslim cleric named Sheikh Amaar, who discovered his conversion. The sheikh pressured the man to return to Islam and incited others in the community to attack him. The young man’s family eventually declared him no longer part of their household, forcing him to leave home in October. Along with other converts, he found refuge with friends in another area.
This incident highlights the increasing challenges for Christians in Sudan, a country ranked fifth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List for the most difficult places to practice Christianity. The situation has worsened due to the civil war that erupted in April 2023, when the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began fighting. The conflict has left many Christians vulnerable, with reports of deaths, assaults, and the destruction of homes and churches. Displaced Christians have been targeted by both warring factions, accused of supporting the opposing side.
The ongoing violence in Sudan has displaced millions of people, including Christians, who are caught in the crossfire between the SAF and RSF. These two Islamist factions, both with ties to Sudan’s previous authoritarian rule under Omar al-Bashir, have worsened the situation for civilians. Christian communities, already a minority in Sudan, have faced increased persecution as their religious beliefs clash with the rising influence of radical Islam.
Sudan’s transition to democracy after Bashir’s ousting in 2019 offered a brief respite for religious minorities, but the military coup in 2021 reversed many of these gains. The return of Islamist factions to power has reignited fears of severe persecution, including the reinstatement of harsh Sharia laws that once criminalized apostasy. The Christian population in Sudan remains small but is under increasing pressure as the country slides back into political and religious repression.
With a population of over 43 million, Sudan has an estimated 2 million Christians, making up about 4.5% of the country’s population. Despite the brief improvements in religious freedom after Bashir’s fall, the military coup has once again made Sudan one of the most dangerous places for Christians to live. The ongoing conflict and political instability have only added to the difficulties faced by Sudan’s Christian community.