Sudan: The civil war’s impact on the Christian community

Sudan is in a state of war with no end in sight for the reinstatement of democracy and Christian religious rights. As reported by Al-Jazeera on 30 June 2024, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed they had captured a key state capital in the country’s southeast. The RSF already control a large portion of Darfur, with the exception of El-Fasher, which is the only remaining city under the army’s and allied groups’ control. The warring sides have been accused by the UN for using starvation as a war tactic, and over 750,000 people are feared to be at the risk of starvation (APNews, 27 June 2024).  Since mid-April 2023 when the fighting began, over 7 million people have been displaced and 24 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance (OCHA Sudan Situation Report, 27 June 2024).
 

World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: “The war in Sudan is fully fledged and violations against civilians abound. The impact of this war on Christian religious freedoms should be viewed in light of the coups following the overthrow of Omar Bashir in 2019. The transitional government implemented reforms including rights for women and religious rights. The overthrow of the transitional government in October 2021 and the current civil war have unfortunately rolled back any progress, and have provided a breeding ground for radical Islamic influence (Africa News, 10 May 2024). Of additional concern would be the spillover effect to neighboring territories like South Sudan and Central African Republic where Christians would be under threat by the spread of Islamic extremism.”