ICC Note: On February 18th, 2015, the Sudanese government aided Muslim investors as they took over the last piece of land belonging to Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church. Two trucks containing riot police arrived at the scene mid-day and helped seize the remaining piece of property. This seizure of property took place less than a month after the Sudanese government seized a different facility belonging to a Christian organization, also in the city of Khartoum.
02/18/2015 Sudan (Morning Star News) – The Sudanese government today helped Muslim investors take over the remaining property of Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church in Khartoum North, church leaders said.
Riot police on two trucks arrived at the church property at noon and assisted in the seizure of the land by force.
“Over the past year they have aided another Muslim businessman to seize a piece of the land, and today they are taking the only piece of land left for the church,” a church leader who requested anonymity told Morning Star News.
The take-over comes less than a month after the government seized another Christian facility in Khartoum.
The church is appealing to Christians worldwide to pray for them.
“We are asking all of you to pray for our situation in Sudan,” another church leader said. “Oh God, have mercy upon us.”
On Oct. 5, 2013, Sudan’s police and security forces broke through the church fence and beat and arrested Christians in the compound, asserting parts of the property belonged to a Muslim investor accompanying them. As Muslims nearby shouted, “Allahu Akbar [God is greater],” plainclothes police and personnel from the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) broke onto the property aboard a truck and two Land Cruisers. After beating several Christians who were in the compound, they arrested some of them; they were all released later that day.
On Dec. 2 police beat, arrested and fined 38 Christians worshipping at the church. After nearly two weeks of raiding and demolishing church property, officers armed with guns and batons arrived at the church compound at 6:30 a.m. on two trucks accompanied by seven smaller vehicles and broke through the main gate, beating whoever they found in the church complex, sources said. Security personnel surrounded the complex, preventing people from entering or leaving, they said.
