Christianity in Sudan
Christianity in Sudan is a minority religion. Sudan is a country in North Africa that has traditionally been almost completely Islamic, with strict laws against conversion to Christianity. Causing many Christians to flee to South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad, or the Nuba Mountains region[1].
Contents
Population Details
Decades earlier
After the genocide of Christians the US & Europe pressured the UN to divide the nation in 2011, creating the Christian nation of South Sudan, and the Muslim Sudan. As of 2011, 97% of the population in Sudan adhered to Islam[2] "While the population of Sudan predominately descends from both indigenous African groups and Arabs, today most tribes in the country speak Arabic and the Arab culture predominates. Over 97% of the population of Sudan are Sunni Muslims with a very small Christian minority."
Current Reality
Recently, these laws were abolished, "In one of a wide-ranging series of legislative reforms, apostates from Islam no longer face the death penalty in Sudan. “We [will] drop all the laws violating the human rights in Sudan,” Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari said Sunday during an interview on state television." [3]
That seems to have had a positive effect. Open Doors 2024 estimated the Population of Sudanese Christians has crossed 2 MN at 2,013,000 or 4.3% of Sudan's Population.
Open Doors earlier placed Sudan as number 7 on the Worldwide Watch List. The number of Christians in the country is estimated at just under 2 million, or 1,963,000. [4]
Whom the government arrests and targets
Open Doors reported: "The government targets, arrests and intimidates many Christians, particularly leaders. Believers who meet together risk abduction or arrest. Churches are destroyed, and church leaders are often arrested or accused of crimes. Authorities monitor existing churches, and building new churches is increasingly difficult."
They requested: "Churches have welcomed these steps towards religious freedom ... Even after decades of instability, God continues to transform hearts, making a way for His kingdom to be strengthened even in the most dangerous places to follow Him. Please continue to pray for the church in Sudan." [5]
Who is most vulnerable to persecution?
"The hostility facing Christians is particularly acute outside the capital, Khartoum. However, the epicenter of the latest conflict is the capital, where most Christians live. Many have been forced to flee, while those who remain may be forced to take sides in the conflict, putting them further at risk.
Many Christians have been attacked indiscriminately in areas such as Darfur, the Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains region, where government forces and rebel groups are in conflict.
The levels of pressure and violence faced by Christians who are ethnic Africans or converts from a Muslim background are particularly high. Over the years, many have been arrested and charged with crimes such as espionage." [6]
See Also
References
- ↑ https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/04/sudan-christians-civil-war-arab-africa-evangelical-alliance/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120605132439/http://www.sd.undp.org/sudan%20overview.htm
- ↑ https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/july/sudan-drops-apostasy-law-death-penalty-christians-alcohol.html
- ↑ https://www.opendoors.org.au/persecuted-christians/world-watch-list/sudan
- ↑ https://www.opendoors.org.au/persecuted-christians/prayer-news/sudan-death-penalty-to-be-abolished/
- ↑ https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/sudan/
