Sharia (Islamic law) is the foundation of Sudan’s legal system, and leaving Islam is punishable by death; Christians who talk about their faith can be accused of an “act that encourages apostasy”. Christianity is seen as Western, making it a political target. Several Christians have been imprisoned in recent years, charged with “spying”. Sudan’s President, Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes including “genocide”, is believed to want to “rid” Sudan of Christianity. In 2016 the government announced plans to destroy 27 churches, claiming they were in violation of the designated purposes of the land they were built on.
Condemned to hang, pregnant Sudanese doctor refuses to recant
Mariam Yahia Ibrahim, a 27-year-old Sudanese doctor due to have her second baby next month, has been condemned to death by hanging, after yesterday (Thursday May 15th) refusing to renounce her Christian faith, despite pressure on her to do so, even in court. Her lawyer reported that, after the court […]
Sudanese pregnant mother sentenced to death for ‘apostasy’
Western Embassies have expressed deep concern for a Sudanese woman pregnant with her second child, who has been sentenced to death in Khartoum, for ‘apostasy’ [converting to Christianity] as well as to 100 lashes for committing adultery. Mariam Yahia Ibrahim, who is 27-years-old and 8-months pregnant with her second child, […]
Sudan bombs Catholic hospital
A Sudanese military aircraft dropped bombs near a Catholic hospital May 1, sending patients, some of them still connected to IV bags, fleeing into foxholes in the bush. Nuba Reports has dramatic video here. Two bombing passes by the jet fighter caused only a few minor injuries and rattled the […]
Sudan ‘tramples’ on its people’s rights
The chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Robert George, says Sudan is continuing to fail to adhere to international religious freedom standards. Through the imposition of sharia (Islamic law), George writes in the Washington Times that Sudan is a particularly difficult place for non-Muslims and for women. […]
Disputed area of Abyei votes to join South Sudan
Agok town in the disputed Abyei area.ENOUGH Project / Flickr / Creative Commons Sudan, already facing regional insurgencies and austerity riots, is on the brink of more violence along its border with South Sudan. Human rights groups say that the fate of Abyei, an area half the size of […]
Sudanese bishop pleads for end to suffering
Rev. Andudu Adam Elnail.United to End Genocide / Flickr / Creative Commons A Sudanese bishop has written to U.S. President Barack Obama, calling for prompt actions to save the lives of those still alive in the country’s Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile and Darfur regions. Rev. Andudu Adam Elnail, the Bishop […]
Sudan: ‘Christianisation’ a problem
Ammar Saleh, the Chairman of the Islamic Centre for Preaching and Comparative Studies in Khartoum, Sudan, has called “official bodies and the community to take a stand against ‘Christianisation’ and find a long-term solution to the problem”. (Sudan Tribune)
Sudan President’s amnesty releases Christian woman
It has been a little more than a week since Salwa Fahmi Suleiman Gireis, a 64-year old Sudanese accountant has been released from prison on Tues 2nd April. She was detained without charge for 7 weeks by the Sudanese security services, following arrest from her home in Khartoum. Amnesty International […]
Sudan border dispute brings destitution to thousands
As politicians wrangle ahead of an early December deadline over the still-disputed status of the oil-rich region of Abyei, straddling the border of Sudan and South Sudan, local church leaders appeal for help in the face of a potential humanitarian crisis. Both governments have been asked to approve an African […]
Sudanese authorities demolish two churches
Authorities in Khartoum demolished two church buildings last week, days after confiscating three Catholic schools, sources told World Watch Monitor. Officials from the Ministry of Planning and Housing of the local government authority on June 18 sent bulldozers that destroyed a church building belonging to the St. John Episcopal Church […]