On July 8, extremists backed by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and local police violently destroyed a Pentecostal church in El Haj Yousif, Khartoum, one of the oldest and most established Pentecostal congregations in the area, including the sanctuary and several other buildings related to church offices, a guest house, and other outbuildings, all built in the early 1990s.
This is the latest act of violence against churches and worshipers even though the SAF declared the entire city of Khartoum “completely liberated” from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) just two months ago. The SAF and RSF continue to use mosques and churches as military targets, despite international condemnation, as both militias fire on houses of worship throughout the country indiscriminately.
In December 2024, SAF aircraft attacked a church in Khartoum and killed 11 worshipers. In June 2025, RSF forces bombed several churches in El Fasher over the course of two days. “We condemn this attack as a grave crime within the definition of the Rome Statute and reiterate our calls to all parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law,” said Scott Bower, CEO of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). “As recent reports have shown, churches are frequently targeted by both sides of the conflict, with many being used as places of refuge for civilians who are displaced by the fighting.” Please continue to pray for the nation of Sudan, and to also pray specifically for Sudanese believers to persevere.
Open Doors International has Sudan at #12 on their World Watch List of 50 countries where Christians experience the worst levels of persecution. PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR THE PEOPLE OF SUDAN.
[image from csw.org]
