Sudanese Pastor Arrested in Alleged Church Property Seizure Attempt
Sudanese Pastor Arrested in Alleged Church Property Seizure Attempt
Police in Sudan have arrested a Christian pastor in what appears to be a new attempt to seize church property. Witnesses say the arrest was linked to a dispute between the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church and a Muslim businessman.
The Rev. Daud Fudul Kachu, who has led the church in Atbara, River Nile State, for more than 30 years, was arrested on the evening of October 28. Two officers from the Department of Criminal Investigation arrived at his home with an arrest warrant around 6 p.m. When church members insisted he contact the church’s attorney before complying, the officers pretended to agree. Moments later, two other policemen hiding behind the church building appeared and forced the pastor into a vehicle.
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He was taken to the Atbara police station and held overnight. Sources said police questioned him intensely the next morning and relayed a message from a Muslim businessman demanding that he vacate the church property within 30 days. One church member reported that the officers told them, “The law is above your religion.”
Authorities allegedly asked Pastor Kachu to sign a document promising not to resist any attempt to take over the church land. He refused. Initially denied bail, he was later released after the church attorney intervened. He regained his freedom shortly before 1 p.m. on October 29. Police are said to be looking for other church council members linked to the case.
The arrest adds to a long-standing conflict between the government and Christian communities over control of church assets. For years, officials and Muslim business interests have tried to seize property belonging to the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church and other Christian institutions in Khartoum and beyond.
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In September, three Muslim men stormed the Evangelical School of Sudan in Omdurman. They broke into the headmaster’s office and threatened displaced Christians sheltering inside. The school, also owned by the same church, has faced several attacks since the regime of former president Omar al-Bashir, when security forces often sided with Muslim business owners seeking to take over Christian property.
Sudan is about 93 percent Muslim, with Christians making up just over 2 percent of the population. Since civil war broke out in April 2023 between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), conditions for Christians have worsened. Churches have been shelled, looted, and occupied by both sides.
According to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, Sudan recorded a sharp rise in the killing and assault of Christians, as well as destruction of Christian homes and businesses. The report stated that believers “are trapped in the chaos, unable to flee,” as both warring Islamist factions accuse Christians of supporting the opposing force.
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The war has displaced more than 11.9 million people and killed tens of thousands, according to the United Nations.
After the fall of Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Sudan briefly saw hope for religious freedom. The transitional government abolished some sharia laws, ended the death penalty for apostasy, and removed discriminatory restrictions. That progress ended with the military coup of October 25, 2021, which restored Islamist influence in the country.
Sudan is now ranked No. 5 on Open Doors’ list of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. The United States removed Sudan from its list of “Countries of Particular Concern” in 2019, but ongoing arrests, land seizures, and intimidation suggest that religious oppression has returned.
For Pastor Kachu and his congregation, his release brings temporary relief. Yet their struggle reflects a larger reality for Christians in Sudan living by faith in a nation where property, freedom, and even worship remain under threat.
Content Credit: Blessing Dada
Image Credit : Christain daily new.com
