Sudanese Authorities Target Church Properties Amid Ongoing Conflict

The Sudanese government is increasingly utilizing administrative and legal measures to seize control of church properties, according to reports from International Christian Concern. The Sudanese Church of Christ in the Marzouq area of Khartoum, which has operated since 1982, is currently facing efforts by authorities to sell or transfer its land. Local sources indicate that officials often exploit internal leadership divisions to justify intervention, appointing state-recognized committees while sidelining established church leaders through legal harassment, imprisonment, or forced exile.

These actions occur against the backdrop of the broader conflict that began in 2023, which has already resulted in the looting and destruction of numerous religious facilities. On September 10, church leaders met with Pekka Haavisto, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, to document the ongoing marginalization and the specific threats posed to their places of worship. Observers note that these administrative pressures represent a systematic strategy to weaken Christian communities by destabilizing their governance and stripping them of their physical sanctuaries.