“We need you to remember the Christians here and consider their suffering.”
– A pastor from Sudan
Since the 2019 coup that ousted Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for 30 years, the situation for Sudanese Christians has somewhat improved. The government has changed its policy of considering Christians enemies and agents of the West. However, social attitudes about Christians have not shifted and society is still majority-Muslim and suspicious of any other faith.
The government also has not put real protections into place for Christians and other religious minorities. Even with the change in official status, confiscated churches and lands have yet to be returned to their Christian owners. Trying to build new churches is extremely difficult.
Despite policy changes, persecution remains incredibly high in Sudan. Churches have been burned down, Christians are attacked, and they are overall still at risk from society, particularly if they have converted from Islam.
Armed forces who were part of the former dictatorship continue to be active, posing a constant threat to Christians. Islamic extremists kidnap Sudanese girls for marriage or sexual slavery. And boys remain targets of forced recruitment into violent Islamic extremist groups.
– Pray that amidst policy challenges, Christians will courageously speak about Christ.
– Pray for protection over our local partners and for much fruit from their work.
– Pray for a resilient church that is economically empowered to support itself.
