Nairobi, Kenya
As the fighting between military rivals intensifies in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere, thousands of Christians hiding in various places of worship have been left homeless after fighters raided and destroyed most church premises.
The fighting broke out on 15th April in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary force led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The clashes have so far led to the deaths of more than 600 people and left thousands of hundreds displaced.
Smoke is seen rise from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, on 22nd April, 2023. PICTURE; Reuters/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File photo
A member of the evangelical church in Khartoum said the situation was awful in the country as most Christians had nowhere to go after some churches were bombed and burned by fighters from the two factions grappling for power.
“The church was the only place we could hide and feel safe,” said the father of two by phone from Khartoum, who requested anonymity for safety reasons. He is a native of South Sudan who came to the country in 2019 to work as a contractor. “But now we are worried about our lives. You cannot trust anyone. People are dying every minute, and no one cares about this situation. Foreigners who came here to work are suffering.”
The 45-year-old observed that fighters could be taking advantage of the war to target Christians and their places of worship. In the last month, for example, he said, several churches have been attacked and destroyed, but there is no single report of mosques being destroyed by the fighters.
“Christians are suffering in this country because they are not even receiving relief food that is being distributed to their Muslim brothers,” he said, revealing that he was taking refuge in one of the buildings in Khartoum. “Our Muslim brothers are not allowing us to take refuge in their homes, and hospitals are prioritising Muslims.”
Fighting has intensified across the country despite the representatives of the warring sides holding talks in Saudi Arabia that are aimed at ceasing fire.
Anglican Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo of Sudan appealled to warring parties in Sudan to stop violence and allow dialogue, saying the continued fighting was causing suffering to millions of residents who were struggling to access essential goods as supplies have dwindled in recent days.
Archbishop Kondo said the attack on his cathedral a few weeks ago by the fighters left dozens of parishioners, including children, who had taken refuge at the church, homeless. He said hundreds of Christians have already fled the country as others continue to find ways to escape the war amid cancelled flights.
“We are praying for peace to prevail in the country so that people can stop losing their lives and resume their normal lives,” he said. “The country is heading in the wrong direction as most services have been disrupted, including electricity, banks, and communications.”
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Archbishop Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria, of the Catholic Archdiocese of Khartoum, said the fighting had prompted hundreds of clergy and nuns to leave the country and seek safety elsewhere. He said thieves had taken advantage of the battle to raid and loot church items, including money, from their premises.
“The situation in Sudan is worsening every day, and there’s nothing we can do but allow priests and nuns who want to leave the country to do so,” said the Sudanese prelate. “They have no food for themselves, and accessing other essential goods is increasingly becoming difficult for them as the war escalates.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Didi appealled for prayer so that God could intervene and stop the fighting so that citizens could access relief supplies and essential services.
“We appeal for prayers so that the people of this country can stay safe and for our leaders to agree to end the war through dialogue and reconciliation,” he added.
