Displaced Christians Threatened at Sudan School
Attempts to seize a Christian school in Sudan have resurfaced, despite the ongoing war that has displaced millions of people and forced many to take refuge in the facility.
On September 3, three men linked to an Islamic business interest reportedly stormed the Evangelical School of Sudan in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum.
According to a local church leader, the intruders broke into the headmaster’s office, threatened to take over the property by force, and ordered hundreds of displaced Christians sheltering there to leave. For security reasons, the leader’s name has been withheld.
The Evangelical School, which belongs to the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC), has long been a target of attempts by a Muslim businessman to seize the land.
Under the regime of former president Omar al-Bashir, the school endured repeated attacks, often with police involvement. In April 2017, violence during one such raid claimed the life of elder Younan Abdullah Kambu, who was stabbed while protecting Christian women on the premises.
Another elder, Ayoub Kamama, was also injured in that attack. The situation has worsened since the civil war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Both groups, with Islamist ties, have targeted Christians, accusing them of siding with the opposing faction. Churches have been looted, destroyed, and even occupied, leaving many believers vulnerable.
According to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, Sudan now ranks 5th among the most dangerous countries for Christians, rising from 8th the previous year.
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The report highlights increases in killings, sexual assaults, and attacks on Christian homes and businesses.
The broader conflict has devastated Sudan. Since the October 2021 coup that derailed hopes of democratic transition, more than 11.9 million people have been displaced, and tens of thousands have been killed. Disagreements between SAF leader Gen.
Abdelfattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over integrating the RSF into the national army collapsed the country’s transition talks in 2023. Both men, though presenting themselves abroad as reformers, are rooted in Islamist networks.
Following the ouster of Bashir in 2019, Sudan briefly saw progress in religious freedom. The transitional government repealed apostasy laws and curbed extremist provisions. However, the October 2021 coup reversed those gains, reviving fears of renewed persecution of Christians.
Although the U.S. State Department removed Sudan from its list of “Countries of Particular Concern” in 2019 and later from its Special Watch List in 2020, current conditions reveal deepening threats to religious freedom.
Today, Sudan’s Christian community, an estimated 2 million people, or 4.5% of the population, faces mounting dangers as the country’s war and Islamist pressures converge.
