Security forces belonging to Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have detained at least 19 Christians in Al Jazirah state since January, accusing them of being advocates of the rebel group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), local sources report.
The arrests began on 21 January when seven Christians, who are members of the Sudan Council of Churches, were en route to a thanksgiving prayer meeting organised by the Inter-Church Committee. They were travelling from Barakat to the state capital but were apprehended by SAF officers, Morning Star News reports.
Attorney Shinbago Mugaddam corroborated the arrests, putting names to the seven detainees – James, Rani Andraws, Akech Otin, Patrice Saeed, Ammanuel, Abraham John, and Peter Makuei.
He stated that before being moved to Madani Prison, the Christians underwent a week of intense interrogation at the Joint Military Cell on Nile Avenue in Madani. All seven Christians have rejected any connection with the RSF.
Reinforcing their defence, Mugaddam informed Morning Star News that church leaders in the area had submitted a letter requesting authorities to release the Christians without delay, asserting there is no proof linking them to the RSF. However, he noted that the Christian believers remained in detention despite the appeal.
The second round of apprehensions occurred in January, when an additional 12 Christians were reportedly arrested in Wad Rawah, also in Al Jazirah state, on similar allegations, according to Mugaddam. He stated that their present location remains undisclosed.
Christian rights organisations have described the arrests as part of a broader campaign to suppress Christianity in Sudan – a country where the Christian population is approximately 2 million people (4.5 percent of the population).
Mugaddam echoed this sentiment, saying, “This is systematic targeting of Christians who are arrested without taking them to court of law to get justice.”
As reported by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), the ongoing conflict between SAF leader Gen. Abdelfattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has devastated Sudan, displacing over 12.9 million people and resulting in tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
The arrests come in the wake of a controversial legal amendment, the General Intelligence Service (GIS) Law, which was passed in May 2024 and restored sweeping powers to Sudan’s GIS.
The law permits intelligence agents to detain, search, and interrogate persons with legal immunity, effectively shielding them from prosecution unless approved by the GIS director.
Sudan War Monitor points out that according to Article 52 of the amended law, actions taken by agents "in good faith" during official duties are not to be considered crimes.
Sudan currently ranks fifth on the 2025 World Watch List (WWL) of countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. It was 8th the previous year, showing a deterioration in the religious freedom situation. The WWL report highlights a surge in violence against Christians, including killings, sexual assaults, and the destruction of homes, businesses, and places of worship since the civil war erupted in April 2023.
