Kamal Fahmi, who is originally from Sudan, founded Set My People Free in 2010 to campaign against blasphemy and apostasy laws. linkedin
Guest commentary by Kamal Fahmi
I’ve witnessed Sudan’s journey over the past few decades, a path marked by a desperate struggle for freedom. In the civil war that has raged between military factions since April 2023, Christians endure not only the displacement, hunger, and violence affecting millions, but also systematic discrimination. Churches in war areas lie in ruins, converts from Islam face torture and death, and countless Christians live as refugees, either internally displaced or in neighboring countries. Despite these hardships, their faith remains unbroken. They continue to establish new churches, schools, and outreach initiatives even in exile.
The military coup of 2021 and the ongoing civil war have plunged our nation into further instability. With each passing day, I find myself asking: Where is Sudan headed? The future appears bleak, yet amidst the chaos, the resilience of the Sudanese people, particularly the Christian community, offers a glimmer of hope.
Islamist rule in Sudan, 1989-2019
Sudan was ruled by a military-Muslim Brotherhood alliance from 1989-2019, until the December 2018 revolution toppled the regime in the summer of 2019. Under the Brotherhood regime, Christians were treated as second-class citizens. The imposition of an Islamic state in Sudan led to civil war between the north and the Christian-majority South. The war later spread to the Nuba Mountains and Darfur.
When peace came between south and north Sudan in 2005, the refusal of the Khartoum government to create a secular state and end the rule of Islamic sharia law led to the separation of South Sudan in 2011. What followed was a crackdown on Christians and Christian ministries in the North – arrests and deportation of Christian workers, harassment and arrests of church leaders, confiscation of church property, and even halting the importation of Christian literature. President Omar al Bashir declared in July 2012 that he would make North Sudan’s constitution “100% Islamic.”
Civilian government period, 2019-2021
Non-violent protesters toppled the Islamic military regime in 2019. The nationwide protests, which began in Atbara under the slogan “Freedom, Peace, and Justice,” withstood government violence, culminating in a massive sit-in of over one million people near military headquarters in Khartoum.
The revolution brought a civilian government to power, though Islamists maintained leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The civilian government that emerged from the revolution respected human rights, rule of law, and religious freedom. It repealed sharia law, abolished blasphemy laws and removed the death sentence for leaving Islam. During this period, Christians and women experienced equality with other citizens. The government reformed the justice system, succeeded in having some international sanctions removed, and began reforming governance, education, economy, and resource management.
In October 2021, the Islamized Sudanese army and RSF staged a coup, crushing hopes for democratic elections. Daily protests resumed but were met with brutal oppression, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of imprisonments. The military was unable to form a stable government for over two years, causing national decline in all sectors.
A new war for power and resources
In April 2023, tensions between the SAF and RSF erupted into open warfare, which continues until today. Regional powers supporting different factions seek access to Sudan’s resources. The human cost has been catastrophic: approximately 14 million people displaced (4 million abroad in neighboring countries and 10 million internally displaced – nearly half the population), while 20 million face food insecurity.
Christians during the war
Christians face the same war-related hardships as all Sudanese: violence, displacement, hunger, and lack of healthcare and education. Additionally, they suffer discrimination as a religious minority, with converts from Islam particularly vulnerable under community-enforced apostasy laws.
Most churches in war-torn areas have been ransacked or completely destroyed. Churches in SAF-controlled areas not affected by fighting have continued to function and reach out to non-Christians. Some Christians fleeing war zones were falsely accused of being RSF members and arrested. Converts faced torture from their communities and fled to neighboring countries.
Churches outside war zones are full of Christian refugees. Many other refugees are forced to live on the streets or in overcrowded homes. In some cases, Christians who fled to peaceful areas faced harassment from local Muslim communities and were pressured to leave.
Despite these challenges, Sudanese Christians have shown remarkable resilience. They have planted churches, established schools, and reestablished Bible schools in refugee settings. There is tremendous interest in Bible study among both laypeople and clergy. Christians are reaching previously inaccessible people groups and have initiated national missions, such as “The Light of Christ,” started by displaced Darfurian believers.
A gloomy future
The Islamist military is regaining ground in the civil war, suggesting a bleak future for religious freedom in Sudan. The country may split into three or four more separate nations.
Two competing governments are forming: one led by the SAF’s General Burhan with some civilian opposition members, controlling North, Central, and East Sudan; and another formed by an alliance between the RSF, the SPLA in the Nuba Mountains, and various militias in Darfur. This alliance controls most of Darfur, South Kordofan, part of North Kordofan, and a small section of Khartoum, and has put forward a secular transitional constitution.
Most Sudanese reject both the SAF and RSF due to atrocities they have committed. The return of civilian government is crucial for Sudan’s future, but rebuilding the country will require massive investment in education, healthcare, infrastructure, industry, and livestock after such widespread destruction. Weapons proliferation and the collapse of law and order have created pervasive insecurity.
Christians both inside and outside Sudan have enormous physical, spiritual, and psychological needs resulting from the war. Despite these challenges, the church continues to grow among all people groups.
The only hope is heavenly intervention. The people of Sudan need Jesus for freedom, peace, and justice.
Kamal Fahmi is the founder of Set My People Free, and is originally from Sudan. Mr. Fahmi has worked with development and Christian ministries in Sudan and the MENA region for over 40 years. In 2008, he visited a family in Yemen who were third generation Christians but could not openly live out their belief. This encounter led him to found Set My People Free in 2010, to campaign against blasphemy and apostasy laws. Although now retired, Fahmi remains an active and prominent advocate for religious freedom, maintaining close relationships with people both inside and outside of Sudan.
