As Sudan’s devastating civil war stretches into its fourth year, Christians across the country continue to face growing hardship, displacement, and fear while struggling to keep their faith alive amid the violence.
When clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, many Christians sought refuge inside churches, hoping the sanctuaries would offer safety from the deadly fighting. Among them was Sefain Nagy, who fled to St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in the Masalma area of Omdurman.
More than 25 Christians sheltered at the church alongside Nagy, including 15 orphaned girls between the ages of 10 and 25, several women, and elderly men. Despite severe shortages of food and clean drinking water, the displaced believers gathered nightly in the church sanctuary to pray and sing hymns as explosions and gunfire echoed around them.
Young Christian volunteers risked their lives to deliver affordable meals from local community kitchens, known as takkiyas, even as shelling intensified across the city.
However, the fragile sense of safety was shattered one night when armed RSF fighters stormed the church.
According to Nagy, the attackers arrived around 10:30 p.m. in a vehicle carrying five militia members. The gunmen reportedly fired at the church walls, broke down the front entrance, and forced their way inside.
“They asked us what we were doing there,” Nagy recalled. “I told them we were praying.”
The militants allegedly assaulted the Christians, stole jewelry from the women, and attempted to abduct the orphaned girls living at the church. Nagy said he tried to stop them from entering the girls’ rooms, but one of the fighters struck him on the head with a gun before shooting him in the leg.
The attackers reportedly attempted to flee with the girls in one of the church vehicles, but the car failed to start.
“Thank God the car wouldn’t start,” Nagy said. “They could not take the orphan girls.”
Although the girls escaped abduction, the militia reportedly looted church property, including furniture, bowls, curtains, light bulbs, tables, and chairs during the hour-long attack.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, churches across Sudan have become temporary shelters for thousands of displaced residents. Yet many Christians say even these sacred spaces are no longer safe, as several churches have reportedly been bombed, occupied, or turned into military bases by armed groups.
Reports indicate that at least 165 churches have been forced to close since the war began, leaving many Christian communities scattered, traumatized, and uncertain about the future.
