Members of The Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church found the Islamic Shahadah: ‘There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger’ - written in red on the church’s front wall, alongside the Qur’anic verse: ‘There is no God but He, the Lord of the Honourable Throne.'
Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church had the words 'Allah is eternal' written on its exterior wall.
During this incident, CCTV footage showed the culprit arriving in a car with others, emerging from the vehicle with a can of red graffiti spray, and approaching the exterior wall of the church. Both incidents occurred during the day in populated areas.
The two churches, which are among the oldest Christian places of worship in Sudan, are located in the centre of Port Sudan Market, opposite the police station and nearby official state administrative buildings.
Port Sudan operates as the de facto capital of Sudan, and is where the leadership of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and military and administrative offices relocated after the conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in April 2023. The city was considered to be a safe place away from the battle lines between the SAF and RSF; consequently, it is now home to hundreds of thousands of displaced citizens.
Despite the churches’ central location, no action was taken by local officials, including the police. Due to the nature of the graffiti, the leaders of the Evangelical Church did not want to cause further tension in the community by filing an official complaint. Consequently, members of the congregation covered the writing to make it appear to be creative artwork. A member of the Evangelical Church told Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW): "This is alarming, and it might only be the start, and only God knows what will come next if such a hate crime is tolerated."
CSW’s CEO Scot Bower said 'We are alarmed that two of Sudan’s oldest places of Christian worship have been targeted in this manner. With the Christian season of Advent due to commence in the coming week, these attacks increase the sense of vulnerability and fear among Sudan’s Christian communities. We call on the authorities to investigate these incidents and hold the perpetrators to account, ensuring the safety and security of Christian communities and their ability to worship without fear or consequence."
Sudan is currently the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with an estimated 12 million people forced from their homes, and 30 million in need of humanitarian assistance.