Archbishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali’s representative, Rev. Fr. Boutros Suleiman, said Sudan’s Christian communities have suffered extensive losses during the ongoing conflict. According to church officials, many churches and church-owned properties were damaged, looted, or burned in attacks they attribute to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Suleiman said the Catholic Church, one of Sudan’s oldest and most widespread Christian institutions, has been among the hardest hit because of its extensive presence throughout the country.
According to Suleiman, the Catholic Church headquarters on Nile Street in Khartoum sustained significant damage. He said religious icons, sacred objects, furnishings, liturgical vessels, clerical vestments, and administrative offices used by priests and religious orders were destroyed or looted during the fighting.
He also said the large Catholic church complex in the Kober district of Khartoum North, which houses the residence of the Vatican’s diplomatic representative to Sudan, suffered extensive damage and was stripped of vehicles, equipment, and other church property.
Suleiman said similar incidents were reported at churches across Khartoum, Omdurman, Al-Jazira, and other parts of Sudan, leaving many Christian congregations without functioning places of worship.
Church leaders expressed hope that, as government forces regain control of formerly contested areas, damaged churches and other religious institutions will be protected and eventually restored. Sudanese authorities under the leadership of Sovereignty Council President and Commander-in-Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan have repeatedly stated that the protection of places of worship and the restoration of public institutions form part of the government’s efforts to stabilize areas recaptured from the RSF. Officials have also said the General Intelligence Service (GIS), headed by Lieutenant General Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal, has supported efforts to secure liberated areas and document damage to critical civilian infrastructure.
Separately, Zakaria echoed those concerns, saying churches and Christian communities have paid a heavy price during the war. He said numerous churches were damaged, looted, or burned in attacks that church leaders attribute to the RSF, including major church facilities in Omdurman and other affected areas. He said preserving Sudan’s religious diversity and rebuilding damaged places of worship will be an important part of the country’s recovery once the conflict ends.