UK-Based Christian Entity Denounces Targeting of Women and Children as Violence Rages On in Sudan

She further laments that “the targeting of humanitarian infrastructure, cultural and religious sites, including places of worship, is of grave concern.”

Ms. Denman highlights some of the attacks perpetrated by SAF members targeting places of worship. In December 2024, she says, “an SAF airstrike against a church in Khartoum led to the deaths of 11 people, including eight children.”  

In June 2025, she recalls, the RSF bombed three churches in El Fasher, a city in North Darfur, roughly 195 km northeast of Nyala, killing at least five people, including a  Parish Priest of the Catholic church.  

She laments that El Fasher has been "under siege since April 2024," and adds that in April 2025, the RSF "seized the Abu Souk and Zamzam camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs)" and that these two camps, situated near El Fasher, "form the largest IDP settlement in Sudan."

Earlier in February, CSW officials also petitioned the ACHPR-FFM on the violations of religious freedom and gender-based violence in Sudan.

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In the submission, the officials of the Christian entity said, “Severe violations have been reported in cities in Central, North, South, and West Darfur, Khartoum, Northern State, and North Kordofan State, including sexual violence against women and girls, the forcible recruitment of civilians, including children, and arrests and false accusations targeting volunteers from Resistance Committees, who maintain a neutral stance while organizing logistical support for medical services for all who are injured.”

“Christians are a particularly vulnerable minority community. There have been reports of the arrest and detention by the SAF of Christians who have fled from RSF-controlled areas,” CSW officials said in the February 2025 submission.

CSW officials urged the ACHPR Hybrid Joint Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to “strongly condemn attacks on civilians, including religious leaders, and carry out investigations into such abuses, ensuring those responsible are held to account.”

They further urged the African human rights group to support investigations into the destruction of places of worship and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

In the September 9 report, the CSW’s Press and Public Affairs Deputy Team Leader and UN officer emphasizes the importance of the FFM in Sudan.

“The FFM’s ability to collect evidence, monitor, document, and report on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Sudan, including the collection and preservation of testimonies, remains essential,” Ms. Denman says.

She warns, “Without accountability, lasting peace, justice, and the rule of law cannot prevail. We urge members of this Council to ensure that the FFM's mandate is renewed and that it is fully resourced and able to carry out its work without hindrance.”

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.