Christians in Sudan are caught in the crossfire between two warring factions, with each military group accusing them of siding with the other, according to the advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). In Al Thora Mobe village, located in Gezira state southeast of Khartoum, rebel militants from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are reportedly pressuring Christians to convert to Islam. The RSF suspects anyone attempting to flee the area of supporting the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), said CSW.
The RSF has controlled this village, a suburb of Wad Madani, since December. “It is dangerous to flee, as the RSF has surrounded the village and accuses anyone who tries to leave of being affiliated with the SAF,” CSW shared in a statement. Those who escape RSF control, however, risk arrest and detention by SAF military intelligence, like members of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) detained in Shendi.
In Shendi, located in River Nile state, SAF military intelligence arrested 26 men, mostly Christians, on suspicion of supporting the RSF. Fourteen were released on Oct. 12-13, but 12 remain in detention. The detained men, members of the SCOC in Al Ezba, Khartoum North, fled the escalating conflict in the city along with their families. About 100 SCOC members fled to Shendi in October.
SAF forces arrested the men at the SCOC building in Shendi in three separate raids on Oct. 6, 10, and 11, harassing, interrogating, and detaining them. The men were physically assaulted in front of their families, according to an eyewitness report. Women and children, including 54 children, now face a dire humanitarian situation, sheltering in overcrowded conditions at the SCOC building in Shendi.
The detained men, who have not been formally charged or allowed visits from their families or lawyers, include at least one Muslim and are primarily from the Moro Nuban tribe in South Kordofan state. The SCOC, a predominantly Nuba denomination, has long faced religious and ethnic discrimination.
CSW President Mervyn Thomas expressed deep concern over the men’s detention and the harsh conditions of their arrest. He called for their immediate release and urged Sudanese authorities to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation for internally displaced persons.
Sudan’s conflict, which began in April 2023 between the RSF and SAF, has displaced millions of people. The fighting stems from disagreements over military control following the 2021 coup. Both factions, led by Islamist military leaders, have portrayed themselves as advocates of democracy and religious freedom but have targeted Christian communities throughout the conflict.
Sudan ranked No. 8 on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from No. 10 the previous year, as attacks on Christians increased amidst the absence of religious freedom reforms.
After the end of Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year dictatorship in 2019, Sudan saw brief advances in religious freedom. However, the 2021 military coup reignited fears of state-sponsored persecution.