Historic Christian Church in Sudan Faces Immediate Demolition Threat Amid Bureaucratic Maze and Veiled Persecution

Along the banks of the White Nile in the twin city of Omdurman, the roar of heavy machinery and an unexpected eviction order disrupted the routine of a Christian congregation that has stood its ground for over four decades. On July 21, local land authorities arrived without prior notice at the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) in the Al-Murzouq area and announced an imminent demolition, claiming the structure was built illegally on open public land. The building, which serves about three hundred members, was constructed in the early 1980s and holds legitimate ownership documentation dating back to that era.

When church leaders presented official property titles to the inspectors, they were instructed to take the paperwork to land authorities in Kereri. Upon complying with the requirement, subsequent directives redirected them to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which in turn passed the case to the Department of Engineering Affairs and Urban Planning. The papers remain stuck in state bureaucracy, while strict deadlines were imposed by officials, starting with a two-week limit followed by a one-week extension in early August.

Pastor Tia Alasara Malasa Kuku reported that the community lives under constant distress, fearing that destruction could happen at any moment. For the church leaders, the justification of public space encroachment is merely a pretext to camouflage a systemic campaign of religious persecution. Sudan ranks fourth on the 2026 World Watch List published by Open Doors, reflecting the barriers faced by minorities in a country where Christians account for roughly two percent of the total population.

The strategy of stifling Christian communities through administrative roadblocks and unannounced demolitions has well-documented precedents in the Sudanese capital and its surroundings. On June 7, a similar scenario struck the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church site in the Mayo Angola area of southern Khartoum, when planning directors warned leaders of a potential demolition without setting a date, limiting their warning to a blunt instruction to be ready.

Demolitions and the History of State Suppression

The dismantling of religious complexes in the country follows a recurring pattern of disregard for acquired rights and zoning laws. On July 8, 2025, a Pentecostal Church complex in the East Nile district of Khartoum North was bulldozed by authorities and armed forces without officials providing any prior warning or requesting ownership papers for the land housing the worship hall and administrative offices.

International human rights organizations have noted that such actions are routinely justified by the government under the guise of removing unregulated buildings throughout Khartoum state. Nevertheless, church leadership points out that access to new permits and the designation of lands for church construction are systematically blocked by public agencies, creating a legal trap for the country's historic congregations.