Sudanese armed forces have been accused of allying with Islamic extremists and destroying a Pentecostal church in El Haj Yousif, El Shegla in Khartoum.
The incident took place on 8 July and began when around 30 men arrived at the church equipped with two bulldozers and a number of pickup trucks and Land Cruisers.
According to anti-persecution organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the church, which was built in the 1990s, was completely demolished, down to its offices, guest house and other attached buildings.
Sudan is currently in a state of civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict began in 2023 following a power struggle between two rival factions within the military government.
In May of this year the SAF claimed it had “completely liberated” Khartoum from the RSF. Those responsible for demolishing the church were from the SAF.
This is not the first time a church has been targeted in the conflict. In December 2024 an SAF airstrike hit a Khartoum church and killed 11 people, at least eight of whom were children. Last month the RSF bombed three churches in the North Darfur State over the course of two days.
Scot Bower, CEO of CSW, said, “CSW condemns the demolition of the Pentecostal Church buildings in Khartoum, which appears to have taken place with the support of the authorities in an area controlled by the SAF.
"Intentional attacks on places dedicated to religion are grave crimes under the Rome Statute.
“We call on all parties to the ongoing conflict in the country to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and refrain from attacks on places of worship, which often double as places of refuge for displaced civilians.
"We continue to call for a full, immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and urge the international community to increase efforts to pressure both parties to agree to this.”
