Church buildings to be demolished in Sudan

KHARTOUM, Sudan — State officials in Sudan plan to demolish at least 25 church buildings in the Khartoum area, according to Christian leaders.

An official letter dated June 2016 listed the names and locations of the churches, which the government claims are built on land zoned for other uses. Christian leaders said it is part of a wider crackdown on Christianity.

The Sudan Council of Churches denounced the order at a Feb. 11 press conference, calling on the government to reconsider the decision or provide alternative sites for the churches.

Mubarak Hamad, chairman of the Sudan Council of Churches, said at the conference that mosques located in the same area were spared from the demolition order.

Since 2012, Sudan has bulldozed church buildings and harassed and expelled Christians, usually on the claim that the buildings belonged to South Sudanese. In 2013 the government announced its decision to issue no new church building licenses, a move that came after South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011. At the same time Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir vowed to adopt a stricter version of Sharia, or Islamic law, and recognize only Islamic culture and the Arabic language.

Because of its treatment of Christians and other human rights violations, Sudan has been designated a country of particular concern by the U.S. State Department since 1999. It ranked fifth on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2017 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution. (MS)