Christian leaders and communities face violence in Sudan's Nuba Mountains

Church leaders and Christian communities in Sudan’s South Kordofan state are facing a surge in targeted violence, including killings and abductions. The watchdog group Open Doors reports that dozens of Christians have been kidnapped during attacks in the Nuba Mountains, a region currently impacted by the national civil war, tribal tensions, and internal fighting between factions of the Sudan People's Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N).

Recent incidents include the death of Pastor Adel Idris Jongool of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, who was shot during a July 24 attack in the Heiban District and later died from his injuries. Additionally, Pastor Yaqob Ibrahim Tia of the Sudanese Church of Christ and church leader Zakaria Suliman Jana were abducted in separate incidents in late July; both have since been released. Bishop Al-Sir Hassan Kuku of the Diocese of Heiban has condemned the violence, calling on all armed groups to respect religious institutions and protect church leadership amid the ongoing regional conflict.