Sudan's civil war has destroyed more than churches; it has dismantled the fragile architecture of religious freedom that took decades to build. According to the U.S. State Department, more than 160 churches have been damaged or destroyed since the war began, marking a catastrophic reversal of the post-2019 reforms that had promised a new era of tolerance.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has not only killed an estimated 150,000 to 400,000 people and displaced over 12 million, but has also systematically targeted Christian communities, turning sanctuaries into battlegrounds and weapons depots.
Over 160 Churches Damaged or Destroyed
The statistics paint a grim picture of religious infrastructure under siege. Churches and mosques have reportedly been looted, confiscated, or turned into military barracks and weapons depots by armed groups, with both SAF and RSF forces accused of seizing religious properties for tactical advantage. In Omdurman, visible scars of the war remain etched into the walls of Mar Mina Church, now riddled with bullet holes that tell the story of four years of relentless fighting. The USCIRF reports that over 165 churches and places of worship have been closed due to attacks, with some completely demolished and others rendered unusable.
Patterns of Targeted Attacks on Sudan's Churches
The destruction follows disturbing patterns that suggest deliberate targeting rather than collateral damage. In January 2024, the RSF set fire to the Evangelical church in Wad Madani, deliberately torching a key community hub after taking control of the city. The Church of the Martyrs in Khartoum witnessed particularly brutal violence when fighters stormed a prayer gathering, beat people, looted valuables, and dug up graves while targeting orphaned girls in the church compound. As one witness described,
'RSF fighters smashed the doors, beat us, looted everything, and dug up the graves in our cemetery. They targeted the orphaned girls in our care. When I confronted them, they shot me in the leg.'
The Salesian Sisters' mission house in Khartoum suffered a bomb strike on November 3, 2023, that injured 23 people, including children. An Evangelical church building in Omdurman was bombed on November 4, 2023, killing at least six orphaned boys in a house on the compound. These incidents reflect broader Human Rights violations documented by the UN Fact-Finding Mission, which has identified 'hallmarks of genocide' in the systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure.
Militarization of Religious Sites in Sudan's Civil War
Both warring parties have transformed religious buildings into military assets with alarming frequency. Analysts have observed that 'they take over church buildings, kill pastors, and then the Sudanese Armed Forces bombards the church because they know rebels are in there.' This pattern has made churches prime targets for both sides, creating a devastating cycle where religious sites become both shields and casualties. As one source noted,
'when the army or the RSF enters an area, they look for large buildings with good walls to house the fighters. That's invariably a church or another type of religious structure.'
This militarization of sacred spaces has made churches prime targets for both sides, creating a devastating cycle where religious sites become both shields and casualties. Most recently, in July 2025, SAF reportedly tore down a Pentecostal church in Khartoum North, claiming the demolition was part of a campaign to enforce building regulations, despite the fact that authorities had historically failed to issue permits for church construction. This pattern of bureaucratic obstruction continues even as physical destruction accelerates, with one church leader stating that
'they will not allow the reconstruction of churches that were bombed and burned during the war.'
Christians Targeted in Sudan Conflict
The impact on Christian communities extends far beyond damaged buildings. Christians in the midst of this volatility are often last in line for aid and protection. As one observer noted,
'if there is any type of aid to be made available, very rarely would that be provided to Christians. If there is any type of safe havens that are being granted from all the violence, Christians are often not welcome in.'
This discrimination compounds the already severe humanitarian crisis affecting all Sudanese, leaving Christians particularly vulnerable to violence, displacement, and starvation.
Survivors of sexual violence face unimaginable trauma, including pregnant teenagers in settings without healthcare, food, shelter, or clean water. The Christian Solidarity International organization accused SAF of deliberately attacking Christians in the Nuba Mountains, stating 'to them, human life has absolutely no value so long as the victims are not Muslim.' These accounts align with broader Human Rights documentation showing that women and girls have been subjected to widespread conflict-related sexual violence, with parties to the conflict committing serious violations of international human rights law.
Government and Church Leadership Responses to Church Destruction
Official responses have ranged from denial to deflection, with some church leaders minimizing the crisis. The Sudanese Prime Minister defended the government's position, stating that
'Sudan will insist that religious diversity is sacrosanct and protected by the constitution.'
However, a bishop from the Sudanese Council of Churches suggested that persecution narratives are 'overblown' and claimed that
'some pastors emphasize persecution to facilitate emigration to Europe.'
This stance has drawn sharp criticism from within the Christian community itself. One pastor accused the Sudanese Council of Churches of being too close to the government:
'The Sudanese Council of Churches is marginalizing denominations that are critical of the war. Some churches were expelled from the SCC for opposing the conflict.'
This internal division reflects broader tensions between those seeking to maintain government relations and those documenting systematic persecution.
Religious Freedom Reversed in Sudan
The current crisis represents more than wartime chaos; it reflects deliberate State Policy choices that have systematically undermined religious freedom. The 2021 military takeover and subsequent war have eroded the gains achieved after 2019, when Sudan repealed apostasy and blasphemy laws and dismantled the public order law that had criminalized religious minorities. Some amendments in 2025 reportedly reversed earlier FoRB protections, signaling a return to institutionalized discrimination.
Despite Article 53 protections, houses of worship and religious sites continue to be impermissibly damaged and destroyed in Sudan, according to USCIRF's assessment. The systematic nature of these attacks, combined with bureaucratic obstruction of reconstruction efforts, suggests a coordinated effort to eliminate Christian presence from Sudan's public life. As one church leader noted regarding reconstruction barriers: 'Attempts to restore these will be virtually impossible' without fundamental changes in government policy.
International Human Rights Reports on Sudan's Churches
International bodies have documented the systematic nature of attacks on religious sites. The USCIRF stated that
'both SAF and the RSF have devastated places of worship, arbitrarily detained members of religious minorities, and created a pervasive climate of fear.'
The commission highlighted that since the war began, it has been reported that over 150 churches have been damaged, with armed combatants intentionally targeting houses of worship.
The ECLJ has documented forced conversions, forced marriages, arbitrary detention, and systematic discrimination, calling for stronger UN action and targeted sanctions against both warring parties. These findings align with the UN Human Rights Council's Fact-Finding Mission, which has documented severe violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by both the RSF and SAF, including attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and means of livelihood.
Future of Religious Freedom in Sudan After Church Destruction
The destruction of Sudan's churches represents more than physical damage; it symbolizes the collapse of a vision for religious pluralism that had seemed possible just years ago. Open Doors now ranks Sudan 4th globally for Christian persecution in its 2026 World Watch List, a dramatic deterioration from previous years. More than 100 churches have been damaged so far, and Christians have been abducted and killed.
The international community faces a critical choice: whether to treat these attacks as collateral damage in a broader conflict or recognize them as systematic religious persecution requiring targeted response and accountability mechanisms. The systematic nature of these attacks, combined with bureaucratic obstruction of reconstruction efforts, suggests a coordinated effort to eliminate Christian presence from Sudan's public life.