Country: Sudan 

Group: Christians 

Date Finalized: 10/17/2021 

Team: Zaida Arellano Reyes (lead), Johanna McCombs, Mason McNeal,

            Escaping religious persecution from Egypt, many Christians settled in Sudan. However, in 1957, the Sudanese government imposed a strict Islamic law (US Commission, 2014; Canada, 1989).  Under Shari’a law, conversion from Islam to any religion is a crime. Using Shari’a law, governmental and non-governmental groups persecute, arrest, deport, intimidate, harass, and discriminate against Christians (Minorities Rights, 2018; US Commission, 2014). Between 1957 to 2014, there are many documented cases of the Sudan government forcing Christians away from their homes, displacing them into camps, or Christians fleeing the country due to religious persecution (Minority Rights, 2018; US Commission, 2014; Canada, 1989).  From 1983 to 2005, the civil war in Sudan resulted in the displacement of five million Christians from their communities (Brock, 2013). In 1991, the Sudanese government forced Sudanese Christian Southerners back to their homes in trucks halfway into the desert, then sent them on foot for the rest of their journey (Katola, 1998). In the late 1900’s, the Sudanese government relocated over 170,000 people, including kidnapped Christian children, into “peace camps” (Canada, 2001). Starting in 2010, many Christians left Sudan to the newly formed country of South Sudan in search of religious freedom (Cultural Atlas, 2021). Between 2013 and 2014, three Christian churches were raided and an additional one was bulldozed, forcing residents away from their places of congregation as well as their homes (Open Doors, 2021; Minority Rights, 2019; US Commission, 2014). A recent case of religious persecution occurred in 2014, when a Sudanese Christian woman sentenced to death fled the country after her case gained world notoriety and the government pardoned her crime (Minority Rights, 2018). Today, Sudan states that it is providing protection for all religious practices (Cultural Atlas, 2021; The World, 2021). However, sources disagree with the reports from the government about protection for freedom of religion since Christians are still being prosecuted, attacked, and ostracized by their communities (Open Doors, 2021). Regardless, some Sudanese Christians are returning to North Sudan because of war conflict in South Sudan (Cultural Atlas, 2021). 

            The data quality for Christians experiencing displacement in Sudan is a 3 of 3. Multiple sources provided clear examples of forced displacement. Because of the abundance of data, this is considered a case of Christians forced away from Sudan. 

Sources

  1. Brock, L. (2013). The martyrs of Sudan: Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Retrieved from https://50days.org/2013/05/the-martyrs-of-sudan-yesterday-today-tomorrow/
  2. Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canadaugees (2021). Sudan: Reports of Catholic residents of Khartoum or elsewhere in Sudan being forcefully converted to Islam. Retrieved from https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4bea71c.html
  3. Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (1989). Sudan: Conflict between Christians and Muslims in Sudan. Retrieved from https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab2888.html 
  4. Cultural Atlas (2021). North Sudanese culture. Retrieved from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/north-sudanese-culture/north-sudanese-culture-religion
  5. Katola, M. (1998). The Refugees and the Displaced in Africa: A challenge to Christians. Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology, 17(2), 140–145.
  6. Minority Rights Group (2019). Sudan-World directory of minorities & indigenous peoples. Retrieved from https://minorityrights.org/country/sudan/
  7. Minority Rights Group International. (2018). Copts-Sudan. Minority Rights Group. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/copts-2/
  8. Open Doors (2021). Sudan. Retrieved from https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/sudan/
  9. US Commission on International Religious Freedom (2014). Annual report: 2014. URL:  https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Sudan%202014.pdf
  10. The World (2021). Sacred nation: Two years after revolution, Christians in Sudan evaluate gains. Retrieved from https://www.pri.org/stories/2021-08-03/two-years-after-revolution-christians-sudan-evaluate-gains