By Jeremiah Goddard
17/10/2024
As the battle for Khartoum continues, the Sudanese military has intensified efforts to reclaim areas of the capital city under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Since late September, renewed fighting has damaged critical infrastructure, with roads in Bahri city, north of Khartoum, left in ruins. The Halfaya Bridge, recently reopened after RSF control, and the Khartoum oil refinery in al-Jaili, about 70 km (43 miles) north of the capital, have become strategic focal points in the ongoing conflict. As the rainy season subsides, fighting is expected to escalate, leaving civilians in even greater peril.
This current escalation, which has been ongoing since April 2023, has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. According to the United Nations, at least 1,800 fatalities have been recorded in the Khartoum area since early September alone, while the overall conflict has forced over 10 million people to flee their homes, including many vulnerable religious minorities.
The Challenge for Sudan’s Christians
Sudan has long been a difficult place for Christians, who make up only about 5% of the population. Under the oppressive regime of Omar al-Bashir, Christians faced systemic persecution, with the country’s legal system governed by strict Sharia law. Following al-Bashir’s forced removal by a military coup in 2019, a transitional government under Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok promised reforms, including efforts to improve religious freedom and tolerance. Initially, this appeared to be a beacon of hope for Sudan’s Christian minority.
However, these promises were short-lived. Despite the transitional government’s efforts, including the removal of Sharia-based laws and the repeal of apostasy laws, religious freedom remained elusive for Sudan’s Christians. Converts from Islam continued to be harassed and tortured, and the blasphemy law, although amended, still allowed for the imprisonment of those expressing minority religious beliefs.
The situation worsened significantly in 2021 when the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF overthrew the civilian government, triggering the civil war that has since devastated the nation. Both sides in the conflict have attacked churches, harassed congregations, and even killed religious leaders. Churches have been bombed, and clergy members have been singled out for violence. Since the war’s outbreak, 165 churches have been forced to close.
Bishops Speak Out Against War Crimes and Humanitarian Crisis
As the violence continues to rage, bishops from South Sudan have raised their voices, accusing warring factions of committing “horrendous war crimes” while the people suffer a “humanitarian disaster.” In a pastoral message delivered in June, they emphasised that the “fabric of Sudanese society has been torn apart,” leaving people traumatised and shocked by the levels of violence and hatred.
The ongoing war has claimed almost 15,000 lives and displaced over 10 million people, marking the worst displacement crisis in the world today. Refugee camps in Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan are being overwhelmed as millions flee the violence. The United Nations continues to appeal for more humanitarian aid, warning that over 25 million people need assistance, with deteriorating food security threatening to trigger the world’s largest hunger crisis.
The bishops have also highlighted the economic entanglements that are prolonging the conflict. Both the SAF and RSF are deeply embedded in the country’s economic life, benefiting from networks of wealthy elites and international sponsors who supply sophisticated weapons like drones. These interests, according to the bishops, make the warring factions reluctant to lay down arms, with leaders proclaiming that they will not stop until the other side is defeated.
Calling for peace, one bishop urged the warring factions to “think of the people and nation” and recognise the growing hatred between Sudan’s ethnic groups. He implored the leaders to “kneel down to pray” and “hear the voice of God and the voice of the people, the children, the women that cry for peace, and also the blood that cries on the ground of innocent people who died because of crossfire.” The bishops called for dialogue, emphasising that the only path forward is to reconcile as one people, united under a common humanity.
Churches as Sanctuaries in Port Sudan
While the violence has torn apart much of Sudan, some regions have remained relatively unscathed. In Port Sudan, for instance, churches have transformed into makeshift shelters, housing thousands of displaced people. One such church, led by a displaced religious leader, provides refuge for both Christians and Muslims. With limited support from the international community, these churches offer hope and sanctuary, despite facing immense challenges in addressing the growing humanitarian needs.
Faith-based organisations such as Caritas Internationalis, the World Council of Churches, and the Jesuit Refugee Service have joined the bishops in calling for urgent humanitarian aid to support those affected by the conflict. However, with ongoing crises in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza, international resources have been stretched thin, leaving the people of Sudan at risk of being forgotten.
A Call for International Action for the Global Church
As the conflict in Sudan intensifies, we pray for an increased effort from the international community to bring peace to the war-torn country. The fighting has not only devastated the civilian population but has also eroded religious freedom, leaving Sudan’s fragile Christian community in a particularly vulnerable position. For Christians around the world, Sudan’s plight should not be forgotten. We must pray for peace and protection for the nation’s Christians, support humanitarian efforts, and pray for those in authority who have a platform to bring about peace negotiations.
Let us remember the words of those calling for peace and justice: “Go back to dialogue as children of one mother and one father.” As Christians, we are called to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Sudan, sharing in their suffering and working to bring light to the darkest of situations.
We have seen God move in amazing ways at INcontext. He moves despite these difficult situations. We search expectantly to find those “fingerprints” that we can look for in situations like these. We have seen God raise up the next generation of missionaries in the faces of refugees from Syria in Lebanon. We have had the opportunity to see tribes from South Sudan lay down generations of conflict and begin to find peace living together in the refugee camps in Uganda. We now wait, search, pray, investigate, and hope for the day when we will see the same things in Sudan.
Please join us in praying for the following:
- That peace will be restored to Sudan and that the leaders involved in this conflict will seek God’s wisdom and guidance in their decisions.
- That the marginalised, displaced, and vulnerable people of Sudan, including Christians and other religious minorities, may encounter the comfort and strength of the living God.
- That churches in Sudan and neighbouring countries can continue to provide sanctuary and support to those in need, despite the immense challenges they face.
- That the global Church will be moved to act, offering humanitarian support and advocating for peace in Sudan.
- That God would protect those who have been displaced and bring healing to the families and communities torn apart by this conflict.
