Dozens Killed In Sudan Mosque Attack; Christians Concerned (Worthy News In-Depth)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
KHARTOUM (Worthy News) – Christian rights investigators confirmed Monday that Sudan’s military struck a mosque in the country’s east-central Gezira State, killing up to 31 people, after churches were also attacked.
Advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) told Worthy News that “the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) dropped barrel bombs indiscriminately on the Sheikh El Jeili Mosque in Wad Madani, Gezira State, after evening prayers on October 20.”
Local authorities known as The Wad Madani Resistance Committees said 15 victims have been identified, while “dozens of body parts and corpses are yet to be identified.”
However, local reports suggested the total number of casualties could be as high as 31, CSW said, adding it was concerned about attacks hitting churches.
“This is not the first time that places of worship have been targeted in the war between the SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).” The CSW recalled that during the war, which began on April 15, 2023, the largest church in Omdurman “was bombed by the SAF,” while the RSF also attacked churches. “In March 2024, SAF-affiliated Islamist militia detonated explosives inside a mosque, also in Omdurman.”
The attack on the Sheikh El Jeili Mosque comes amid stepped-up clashes between the two groups, including in Gezira State, Christians said.
“The RSF have attacked villages in the state following the defection of one of its commanders, Abu Aqla Kikal, to the SAF on October 20. On October 25, at least 124 people were killed in an attack that led to thousands being forcibly displaced,” CSW added.
RAF MILITIAS
The RSF grew out of and is primarily composed of militias that previously fought on behalf of the Sudanese government. Its actions in Darfur qualify as “crimes against humanity,” the Human Rights Watch group said previously.
“Disturbing reports also suggest that several women had committed mass suicide” following the RSF attacks “to avoid being subjected to sexual violence, sexual slavery or kidnapping by the armed group,” CSW explained.
“There are also reports of the RSF separating men in the community and detaining some in a local mosque. Others were marched into fields and killed.”
Mervyn Thomas, CSW’s founder and president, explained to Worthy News that “attacks on places of worship where civilians are gathered and seek refuge constitute severe breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law.”
He said international bodies, such as the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, “must document thoroughly.”
The attacks on civilians in Gezira State “underscore the urgent need for coordinated international protection mechanisms, especially for vulnerable groups such as women and girls and minority communities,” he argued.
“The emerging reports of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, the targeting of civilians, and looting are deeply disturbing and unacceptable. All parties to the conflict must be pressured to protect civilians by their obligations under international law and the Jeddah Agreements.”
ARMS PROLIFERATION
Additionally, “steps must be taken to stem the proliferation of arms into Sudan and to penalize those responsible for this,” Thomas said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the aerial bombardment of the Sheikh El Jeili Mosque.”
The deadly strikes underscored that the civil armed conflict in this Northeast African nation of 50.5 million people has entered its second year.
“Sudan’s two warring factions remain locked in a deadly power struggle. Since the conflict began on April 15, 2023, almost 15,000 people have been killed, and more than 8.2 million have been displaced, giving rise to the worst displacement crisis in the world,” according to an assessment by the U.S.-based bipartisan Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) obtained by Worthy News.
“Nearly 2 million displaced Sudanese have fled to unstable areas in Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, overrunning refugee camps and prompting concerns that Sudanese refugees could soon attempt to enter Europe,” the think tank warned.
The United Nations continues to plead for more support, saying over 25 million need humanitarian assistance, and deteriorating food security risks are triggering the “world’s largest hunger crisis.”
Fighting between the rival factions broke out in April 2023 in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, raising fears of a return to full-scale civil war.
Observers say the conflict is primarily a power struggle between the SAF and RAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, who are battling for control of the nation and its resources.
CONFLICT DEEPENS
“As the conflict deepens, humanitarian conditions are declining, and the promise of a long-awaited democratic transition diminishes,” the CFR warned.
As fighting continues, there is concern that the tiny Christian minority in the Sunni Muslim nation will be targeted even more by extremists.
Over 165 churches have already been closed and others destroyed, Christians said.
Churches have also reported “human rights violations such as rape, kidnap, and looting” in the country.
Sudan ranks eighth on the annual World Watch List of 50 nations, where advocacy group Open Doors says Christians face the most persecution for their faith.