MADANI, Sudan — A judge in eastern Sudan has ordered a Christian school that government officials had taken over to resume classes under the prior Christian administration, according to the headmaster.
An appeals court cancelled an order by the Madani commissioner calling for the closure of the Evangelical Basic School, which armed police along with civilians from Khartoum and elsewhere had seized Oct. 24.
“The court has ordered that the school continue to function with the current administration without interference from the commissioner,” said Pastor Suleiman Anglo, headmaster at the school. “Things are normal, thank God.”
The Oct. 24 government seizure marked the third raid on the school, following efforts to seize it on Sept. 5 and Oct. 4. On Oct. 6, authorities jailed for four days Suleiman and seven other Christian staff members who tried to prevent the seizure of the institution by authorities. The school serves more than 1,000 students, ages 3 to 18, and belongs to the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church.
The re-opening came after court hearings on Nov. 7 and 8. Suleiman said the school had written a letter to the government urging officials to reconsider their decision to close the school. Parents also asked the judge to request the government to reopen the school. The court found that the attempt by the Madani commissioner to close down the school and appoint a Muslim teacher to run it was inappropriate, Suleiman said. (MS)
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