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Sudan: RSF Paramilitary Group Attacks Church Service

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – While fighting each other for the power to rule Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been killing and attacking civilians, not least Christians, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

Since conducting a military coup and deposing the fledgling transitional democratic government that took over from brutal dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the SAF and the RSF have destroyed all steps taken to promote religious liberty in Muslim-majority Sudan: the war-torn country ranked 8 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

In the latest violent attack against Christians in Sudan, militants from the RSF
targeted a prayer meeting at the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) congregation in the town of Al Hasaheisa in Al Jazirah state on Monday, December 30, MSN reports. Accusing the Christians who had gathered of supporting the SAF, the militants attacked congregants and destroyed property.

Fourteen congregants were severely wounded, including the 18-year-old daughter of a church elder, MSN reports. “The RSF has often accused civilians of supporting SAR as they attack, rape, kidnap and loot,” MSN said in its report.

In a 2024 website statement about the effect of the war on Christians, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization said: “There are long-term concerns that the conflict will give Islamic extremists a renewed foothold in the country, undoing the reforms made by the transitional civilian government which gave more freedom to Christians, including abolishing the apostasy law and removing Islam as the state religion.”