Tensions in Sudan are threatening to impact other surrounding nations, and neighbouring South Sudan is reportedly on the brink of its own civil war - potentially leaving Christians facing further persecution.
Following the Sudan Armed Forces’ (SAF) recapture of the nation’s presidential palace in Khartoum, after two years under Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) partners revealed to en that Christians could face further strain should civil war break out in South Sudan.
The SAF has taken control of Gezira State and most of the Sudan’s capital, where recent images show that buildings including universities and places of worship, including churches, are significantly damaged, but still standing. The RSF are focusing their efforts on the Darfur region, with SAF airstrikes and RSF summary executions recently reported.
Now, new fears of a civil war in South Sudan risk enflaming already sky-high tensions in the region, following President Salva Kiir’s decision to place Vice-President Riek Machar’s under house arrest, breaching the nation’s peace agreement.
The situation in Sudan is not helping to ease tensions. The SAF are accusing South Sudan of supporting the RSF, while South Sudan accuses the SAF of sending weapons to Machar’s army, although CSW partners believe this would be difficult due to his army’s location near RSF controlled territory.
The partners warn that this could see believers in the Nuba Mountains, where many Sudanese Christians live, face an “exacerbated” situation, due to South Sudan’s prominence as a key access point from the region.
They said: “South Sudan is a key access point for the Nuba Mountains, where civilians have been able to retreat from the conflict. Tensions in South Sudan would further exacerbate the situation for civilians, especially Christians from the Nuba Mountains. These developments underscore the restive peace in the region, as the shifts in conflict dynamics in Sudan have an impact on surrounding countries.”
