Human Rights Foundation Condemns Attack on Sudanese Church amid Threats to “kill all Christians”

“The targeting of places of worship violates both domestic and international law, and, in the context of conflict, international humanitarian law,” the Founder President of CSW said.

CSW has reported that RSF soldiers looted the church, then forced the 177 Christians who had gathered there to leave.

According to the human rights foundation, Christians have not returned to the Sudanese church since the attack and are unsure of when they will be able to gather and pray safely.

Christians in areas under RSF control, the paramilitary force under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have been subjected to widespread human rights violations since April 2023 when conflict broke out between RSF and SAF, the latter loyal to the head of Sudan's transitional governing Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The RSF have repeatedly attacked churches, and continued to pressure Christians to convert to Islam on a widespread and systematic basis.

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The SAF have also attacked places of worship during the conflict. On 20 December 2024, at least 11 people, including eight children, were killed in an SAF airstrike on the Al Ezba Baptist Church, its nursery and residential buildings in Al Ezba, Khartoum North. 

Earlier, on 4 December 2024, at least seven people were killed in an SAF airstrike on the Sheikh Elsidiq Mosque in Shambat, Khartoum North.

The CSW official has appealed to the international community, including the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, to document the attacks thoroughly with a view towards ensuring accountability.

“Once again, CSW calls on the warring parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire, and on the international community to increase efforts to ensure the protection of civilians in Sudan,” Mervyn has been quoted as saying in the January 7 report.

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