Sudanese Christians Report Increased Violence and Abductions in Nuba Mountains

On the United Nations’ International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, Sudanese Christians highlighted a surge in targeted attacks within the Nuba Mountains region. Church and advocacy groups report that clergy members have been specifically targeted, citing the recent killing of Pastor Adel Idris Jongool of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, who died following a July 24 attack in the Heiban District. Other leaders, including Pastor Yaqob Ibrahim Tia and Zakaria Suliman Jana, were abducted in separate incidents before being released.

Church sources attribute these acts to a breakaway faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N), noting that violence often stems from a complex mix of tribal, religious, and political tensions. Open Doors, which ranks Sudan fourth on its 2026 World Watch List, reports that dozens of Christians have been kidnapped and that church facilities are frequently occupied or damaged during the conflict. These incidents occur against the backdrop of a broader national war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which has left many religious communities vulnerable to ongoing instability.