On Monday, violence erupted during a prayer service at a church in Al Jazirah state, Sudan, as members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stormed in, leaving 14 Christians injured.
The incident took place in Al Hasaheisa while congregants from the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) were engaged in prayer and fasting, seeking peace amid the ongoing military conflict ravaging the nation.
Details of the Assault
Church Secretary Joseph Suliman reported that the assault commenced when RSF militants entered the worship space, attacking attendees under the suspicion that they had affiliations with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Among those injured was 18-year-old Mina Joseph, daughter of a church elder, who sustained severe injuries and is currently in critical condition.
The assailants struck around 10 a.m., causing not only physical harm but also vandalizing church property, including furniture.
The RSF controls the area and has imposed restrictions on the movement of church members and local Christians, making escape nearly impossible.
Suliman noted that there have been numerous failed attempts by congregants trying to flee the violence, as RSF militants thwarted these efforts.
The Broader Context
The RSF often justifies its violent actions—such as assaults, kidnappings, and looting—by accusing civilians of siding with the SAF.
According to the Al Jazirah Conference, a civil society organization, RSF militants have displaced residents from 400 villages and partially emptied another 115 in eastern Al Jazirah state alone.
Tensions escalated on October 20 following the defection of RSF leader Abu Aqla Kikil to the SAF, which reportedly spurred retaliatory actions by RSF forces.
The fallout from this shift has led to the displacement of over 500,000 people and countless fatalities.
Impacts on Religious Freedom
Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List highlighted Sudan’s troubling status as the eighth most challenging country for Christians.
This marks a decline from its previous ranking of tenth, primarily due to persistent violence from non-state actors and the failure to implement religious freedom reforms locally.
Sudan had recently slipped out of the top ten for the first time in six years in the 2021 list, reversing a notable trend.
The landscape of religious freedom shifted following the fall of former dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, which briefly halted state-sponsored persecution.
However, the military coup on October 25, 2021, abruptly reversed any progress made.
Today, approximately 2 million Christians reside in Sudan, constituting about 4.5% of the nation’s total population of over 43 million.
Source: Christianpost
