Khartoum: Rhino – Darfur Christian Council condemned what it described as a “flagrant violation of religious freedoms” following the demolition of the Pentecostal Church in the Al-Haj Yousif area of East Nile on Tuesday, July 8, by the Khartoum state authorities, as part of a campaign to remove informal settlements, which particularly affects areas inhabited by Christians.

The council described what happened as a continuation of a systematic approach to targeting Christians through policies of demolition and bulldozing that affect places of worship without regard for the sanctity of places of prayer or the rights of religious minorities, noting in a statement that the residents of these areas are mostly Christians who suffer from discrimination and repeated religious persecution.

The Council called on the governor of Khartoum to take urgent steps to stop the violations, most notably ending all forms of religious persecution against Christians in the state, the immediate release of Christian detainees held on charges related to “collaboration with the Rapid Support Forces” or other charges that the statement described as unjustified, and the referral of detainees to fair trials only if there is real evidence against them.

The Council appealed to the international community and human rights institutions to intervene immediately to stop the mass persecution of Christians in Sudan and to exert effective pressure on the Sudanese government to respect the rights of religious minorities and ensure their protection from any systematic targeting.

The Darfur Christian Council affirmed its commitment to defending the rights of Christians in Sudan and working to make their voices heard at regional and international forums, saying, “We will not remain silent in the face of these violations, and we will continue our peaceful struggle for justice and equality.”