In the sandy streets of Khartoum, new graffiti scrawled messages of freedom, peace, and liberty, an echo of the dreams of the Sudanese youth in 2019. Back then, amidst the arid landscape of this bustling capital, hope blossomed in the desert. A people’s revolt backed by the military ousted President Omar Hassan al-Bashir who had been in power for three decades.
But a breakdown of a fragile transitional civilian-military government and cracks within the armed forces threw Sudan into a full blown war in April 2023. The conflict pits the Sudanese Army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by former al-Burhan deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Both factions are locked in a fierce struggle for power and control over the country’s resources, including its gold and oil.
The human cost has been staggering. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have lost their lives, and according to the United Nations, nearly 11 million people have been displaced. More than two million have fled the country. The war has left Sudanese civilians without essential food, healthcare, or any semblance of peace.
Peace talks organized by the United States that began on 16 August 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland kicked off with mixed results. While RSF representatives attended the talks, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) boycotted the peace initiative.
A joint statement from envoys representing the UN, the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Switzerland commended RSF for attending the talks and urged the paramilitary force to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and churches.
“Among the priority issues raised at yesterday’s meeting was the need to allow safe and unhindered passage of humanitarian aid and workers in and through all areas of RSF control,” read the statement.
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs however said the peace talks would be “futile” if RSF is allowed to get away with crimes against humanity for the sake of peace. SAF also accused RSF of bombing residential areas in Kordofan and Khartoum, and two schools in Al-Obeid city as well as a hospital in Al-Thawra, Karrari, just days to the talks. The Geneva delegation, however, committed to meet SAF “as soon as they arrive or contact them in any way they choose.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an evangelical pastor in Sudan told Christian Daily International that the situation is getting worse by the day. He said that there are displaced people walking for up to 600 kilometers to escape volatile areas and to find food and shelter only to end up “in the middle of nowhere”.
“People are suffering because there are new attacks (both from SAF and RSF) in new places. We are losing many more because of lack of food and medication,” said the pastor. While the warring parties continue pulling in different directions, time is running out for what is left of Sudan’s crumbling civilian infrastructure.
Christian Daily International talked to Christians who lived in Khartoum for many years. One of them, Youssef (name changed for security reasons), led a now closed clinic in the city.
“We can’t talk about health organizations, because there are none,” Youssef laments. Many doctors, pharmacists and highly educated people, including himself, have fled the country.
“Before the war, there were three doctors for every 10,000 people, that was already disastrous. Now, there is almost no doctor left in town,” he adds.
The war has not only destroyed critical healthcare facilities, it also made it very complicated for Christians to meet in their churches in Kharthoum. Some of the churches have been bombed and the danger of new attacks is vivid. In mid-August 2024, the city’s Christian community attempted to gather in small congregations, Rani tells. However, this too proved difficult.
“One church managed to organize a meeting, cleaned the church and collected the people from their homes with a bus to avoid the danger of the streets,” Youssef recounts. The first meeting was a success, but on the second attempt, the bus was halted by the Sudanese Army.
“They sent the people home, saying it was too dangerous to hold a congregation,” Youssef explains. He adds that the incident is an example of how efforts to rebuild life are swiftly undone and brief moments of normality are quickly crushed.
Despite the dire situation, Youssef doesn’t let hope be shattered. His greatest worry is the suffering of people already on the brink of starvation. The United Nations' World Food Program warns that approximately 8.5 million people are facing extreme food shortages, with the risk of famine looming if the conflict escalates further. The war has claimed nearly 16,000 lives, displaced millions, and triggered a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Youssef continues to pay his clinic staff's salaries and remains in touch with those still in Khartoum. He observes that the prices for basic goods have skyrocketed alongside the destruction wrought by the RSF. “Fruits are now a luxury,” he says, noting that sugar is a rare commodity for many. The infrastructure, painstakingly built over decades, lies in ruins, and with scant support for reconstruction, recovery will be a long and arduous process.
What troubles Youssef most, however, is the deafening silence surrounding this devastation. A joint report by 21 Christian humanitarian organizations listed Sudan as one of the six crisis-hit African countries that have been neglected by the international community.
“What really kills me is that despite all this suffering, nobody talks about it,” wonders Youssef. He believes that the conflict has spiraled beyond human control. “It really needs God’s hand, God’s mercy. Prayer is the only thing that will change this,” he asserts. He places his faith in divine intervention over NGO projects or peace talks, hoping for a resolution that seems increasingly distant.
