AFRICA/SUDAN – Police raid Evangelical church in Khartoum

Thursday, 4 December 2014

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – Members of the police force carried out a raid on an Evangelical church in North Khartoum and preceded to demolish the building. Others arrested 37 young people gathered for prayers inside the church. The news was given by Pastor Yahya Abdelrahim to the local Dabanga Radio. The police arrived with nine vehicles, accompanied by bulldozers and started to demolish the outer walls of the building. The young men arrested were divided in 3 groups and fined by different courts for ‘disturbing public order’. Last month in North Khartoum, special police forces confiscated and demolished the home of an elderly Protestant pastor whom they presented with a court order to leave the premises. In response to these acts of violence leaders of various churches in Khartoum, students and other members of the local community protested. Since 2011, when South Sudan became independent, many churches Catholic and protestant in Khartoum have been demolished or confiscated by the authorities. The Secretary General of the Sudan Council of Churches rev. Kodi El Ramli, said that last September the Council received several reports of harassment and discrimination against Christians. (AP) (4/12/2014 Agenzia Fides)


Share: