Religious freedom in Sudan improving, USCIRF report says

WASHINGTON — The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reports that Sudan’s transitional government has, in the past year, improved religious freedom in that country.

In April 2019, a revolution ended the 30-year regime of President Omar al-Bashir. The transitional government has done the following:

• Drawn an interim constitution giving freedom of religion and belief to all. Islam is not listed as the primary source of law.
• Repealed punishment for non-conformity to Sunni Islam, banned female genital mutilation and ended flogging for blasphemy.
• Designated Dec. 25 as a national holiday.
• Agreed to monitor human rights abuses and religious freedom violations.

However, properties confiscated from churches by the al-Bashir government have not been returned, no new permits have been issued for churches and blasphemy is still punishable by imprisonment.

Sudan is No. 7 on Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List of places where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The recently released USCIRF report states the U.S. still deems Sudan a “state sponsor of terrorism.”