Persecution of Christians remains at a high level in Sudan, and there are fears this will worsen amid the ongoing unrest.

After Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April 2019, Sudan's transitional government introduced exciting changes to the legal framework guaranteeing basic human rights for all Sudanese, no matter their ethnicity, gender or religion. However, mass protests led to the resignation of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok in January 2022, and there are fears that Sudan will return to the authoritarian years of the former president. This could undo the positive steps made towards religious freedom under the transitional government. Although the death penalty for leaving Islam has now been abolished, there are fears that this punishment could be reinstated.

Social attitudes towards Christians have not changed. This is especially the case in areas outside the capital, Khartoum. Christians are still vulnerable to extreme persecution from both their communities and their own families, particularly if they have converted from Islam. Converts may face sexual assault and domestic violence in their homes, as well as being vulnerable to imprisonment and violence. The government hasn’t put real protections in place for Christians and other religious minorities. Since the military coup, four churches have been forced to close, and even with the change in official status, confiscated churches and lands have yet to be returned to their Christian owners. Trying to build new churches is still extremely difficult.

The most vulnerable Christians are those who have converted from Islam – this was once punishable by death in Sudan. Although the death penalty for leaving Islam has now been abolished, there are fears that it could be reinstated.

Geographically, pressure and violence towards Christians has always been more intense outside the capital, Khartoum. In Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile regions of the country, where armed conflict is ongoing, violence against Christians is particularly serious.