Hope that is hidden: Without political leverage or institutional protection, Christians in Sudan seek spiritual recourse

Over the last three reporting periods of the World Watch List (an annual index produced by not for profit, Open Doors), persecution has steadily heightened for Christians in Sudan. In 2026, the country ranked fourth globally and second on the continent because of the hardships faced by Christians. Hundreds of churches have been damaged, religious gatherings disrupted, and faith leaders detained, while Christians have widespread discrimination in education, employment and justice access. All these activities and limitations have resulted in Sudan getting to its highest ranking ever recorded. Fractured state authority, emboldened armed groups and zones where impunity is the norm, have collectively wreaked havoc of believers. Here are ten facts about the state of Christian life in Sudan:

1

Sudan has struggled with civil order since independence. Although the southern secession conflict has formally ended, the Darfur crisis and the current civil war persist. Successive governments have relied on fear and coercion to maintain control, using nationalism and internal scapegoating to reinforce their authority. Under the present military leadership, repression has deepened, and Christian communities have faced intensified persecution as the regime seeks to consolidate power amid continuing instability and civil war.

2

The situation has steadily worsened for Christians. At the beginning of 2025, 19 Christians were detained in Madani and many of them still have no legal access or formal charges. In June, RSF airstrikes in El Fasher destroyed three churches and killed five people. A month later, security forces in Khartoum bulldozed a Pentecostal church complex, destroying the entire site.

3

Persecution has spread to urban centers, since the civil war outbreak in April 2023. Christians were long targeted in conflict zones such as Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, however, Khartoum and Gezira State, have become focal points of systematic repression. Unlike past rural violence that often went undocumented, urban attacks have been extensively recorded by rights groups exposing a deliberate and increasingly brazen campaign against Christian religious communities and spaces of worship.

4

Expatriate Christians are affected. They face forced church closures, registration denials, and church demolitions. Many encounter arbitrary arrest and detention without due legal process, particularly during the ongoing conflict.

5

Members of historical churches face violations from both Islamic oppression and dictatorial paranoia. Al-Bashir’s program of church demolition targeted the Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic denominations, and current conflict has exacerbated their vulnerability. Sudanese Christians belonging to Baptist, Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations suffer violations through Islamic oppression that expresses itself via state actors and social structures, and dictatorial paranoia, with most of their churches facing closure or destruction.

6

Women’s rights have been undermined since Sudan’s 2021 coup. Christian women, especially converts, face social isolation, loss of inheritance, legal discrimination, domestic violence and forced psychiatric treatment. The ongoing conflict has weaponized sexual violence. Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have raped women and girls, abducted some for ransom or sexual slavery, and attacked clinics supporting survivors. Stigma, weak legal protections and biased courts silence victims, while even police have raped Christian girls. Women remain deeply vulnerable amid systemic inequality and impunity.

7

Male Christians – especially church leaders – are targeted with government harassment, surveillance and false terrorism charges. Converts face beatings, imprisonment and rejection by their families. Men and boys are also abducted or killed by RSF and allied militias, with their absence leaving families vulnerable to economic collapse, looting and sexual violence against women. As primary providers, Christian men live under constant threat, enduring violence, humiliation, and fear.

8

Children from Christian families experience systematic harassment in schools and communities based on their faith identity. Converts who attempt to raise children as Christian’s risk losing custody through both legal proceedings and family interventions. The education system mandates Islamic instruction for all students, with no exemptions for Christians. Mixed marriages also face severe pressure, with Christian spouses expected to convert to Islam.

9

Christian communities struggle to access basic resources like clean water and healthcare, particularly outside urban areas. The prevailing societal attitude is that Sudanese citizens should be Muslim, with Christians viewed as outsiders. Government forces and militias deliberately restrict Christians from using community resources and conduct targeted house searches in suspected Christian neighbourhoods.

10

International Christian NGOs are frequently denied access to vulnerable populations, making it hard for them to provide humanitarian assistance. Under current conflict conditions, Christians are often accused of foreign loyalties by both government and rebel forces; they face discrimination in employment, education, and justice systems. Many report being denied humanitarian aid distribution based on religious identity.