How are Christians persecuted in Sudan?
- More than 100 churches, Christian buildings, and even private homes belonging to Christians have been forcibly occupied during the country’s ongoing conflict.
- There has been a spike in the abduction and killing of Christian men by radical Islamic groups.
- Church leaders are targeted by false charges, including terrorism and apostasy, despite the apostasy law being abolished in 2020.
- Converts from Islam face violence, imprisonment, forced marriage, rejection, sexual violence, disinheritance, and losing custody of their children. Many are forced to flee their homes, or feel that staying is unsustainable.
- Christians are also experiencing exceptional hardship in the hunger crisis because local communities discriminate against them and won’t give them support.
“It is the war that forced us to come here. We lack everything. We are really hungry.”
Alia*, who has been displaced with her family
Why are Christians persecuted in Sudan?
- In Sudan’s ongoing conflict, both sides have seen the rise of Islamic extremists. They are capitalising on the chaotic security situation to increase their attacks on churches and Christian communities, seeking to destroy Christianity in Sudan.
- Families and communities see conversion from Islam as a shameful betrayal, and so new believers often keep their faith secret, even from their own children.
Who is particularly vulnerable in Sudan?
- In areas of particularly intense fighting, all Christians are vulnerable to being targeted and persecuted.
- Across the country, Christians who have converted from Islam face the most extreme persecution.
“We are enduring and we have put God first to help us. We have not forgotten about God because He is with us always, day and night.”
Alia*
What has changed in Sudan in the past year?
- Sudan has risen three places on the World Watch List. Once a good news story, and on the path to religious freedom, the coup and ongoing war has intensified the vulnerability of Christians.
- The scope and intensity of pressure on Christians have grown substantially this year, as the civil war has introduced extreme levels of violence and hardship. The struggle for survival for Sudanese Christians has worsened, as they’re faced with heightened dangers and diminishing resources.
How can I help Christians in Sudan?
- Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters in Sudan. Your prayers make an enormous difference to those following Jesus no matter the cost.
Open Doors works through local church partners in Sudan to strengthen persecuted Christians through persecution survival training, discipleship training and economic empowerment projects.
*Name changed for security reasons
Father God, please bring peace to Sudan this year. We pray for an end to this terrible conflict. Please protect, comfort and provide for Christians who have no safe place to go and help them build community. We ask for a brighter future for Sudan, where ordinary people will be able to eat and sleep in safety. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
