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As well as our work in Egypt, we maintain close ties with partners in Sudan and pray for the people there.

Two countries – one history

Sudan is regarded as a bridge between the Arab world and sub-Saharan Africa.

The two states, the ‘Republic of Sudan’ and ‘South Sudan’, are closely linked. Following a referendum in South Sudan, this region seceded from the north and became independent on 9 July 2011. Both states face significant challenges. The north has had to forgo a large proportion of its oil revenue, as most of the oil fields are located in South Sudan. South Sudan is regarded as one of the least developed regions in the world. At Christmas 2013, a political power struggle within the ruling party sparked a brutal ethnic conflict, in the course of which thousands have lost their lives to date. In North Sudan, too, a civil war has been raging for years in the regions of Darfur, South Kordofan (Nuba Mountains) and the Blue Nile region.

Muslims in Sudan

In the 7th/8th century, Islam spread from Arabia into the territory of present-day Sudan. The people of the Nile Valley, from Aswan to the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, were Christians from the 6th to the 15th century. Thereafter, the influence of Islam grew so strong that, within 100 years, the population had become almost exclusively Muslim. Islam continued to spread westwards and southwards. However, the people in the south of the country (approximately one-third of the whole of Sudan) remained predominantly followers of traditional African religions until the beginning of the 20th century. Since independence in 1956, the Islamic north has sought to Islamise the south. The result was a bloody civil war, with heavy losses on both sides, which was only brought to an end in 2005 by a peace agreement.

Sudanese Islam is characterised by its numerous mystical brotherhoods, which also exert a strong influence on political life. At the end of the 19th century, the Nubian Mohammed Ahmed El-Mahdi led a popular uprising that drove out the combined forces of the Turks, Egyptians and British, and went on to become the country’s most famous Muslim leader and national hero. A great-grandson of the Mahdi, Sadiq al-Mahdi, is the leader of the Mahdist Brotherhood and the Umma Party, and served as Prime Minister from 1986 to 1989. Since 1989, the country has been under a fundamentalist government.

Christians in Sudan

In the 19th century, Christians from Egypt (Orthodox and Protestant Copts) migrated to Sudan and established congregations and churches. From 1900 onwards, the British-Egyptian colonial government permitted foreign missionary work in South Sudan and in the Nuba Mountains in the west. Through the preaching of the Gospel, combined with schooling and healthcare, congregations and churches sprang up amongst people who had come from traditional religions. Only a few Muslims became Christians.

Many Christians fled their homes in South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains due to the two civil wars (1956–1972 and 1983–2005) and settled in the north or in neighbouring countries. In many places in Northern Sudan, these displaced people formed new congregations. The Greater Khartoum area became a centre for the activities of the Christian churches, for example in the fields of theological education, Bible translation, media work and training programmes. Many of the South Sudanese have now returned to their homeland. In South Sudan, the churches play an important role in the country’s reconstruction; in the north, Christians must continue to assert themselves in their situation as a minority. Many of the activities of the Christian communities are now severely restricted.

Current prayer requests

Both countries – the Republic of Sudan and South Sudan – need peace and reconciliation in order to resolve their deep-rooted ethnic, religious and political conflicts. In South Sudan and in many regions of Sudan, people live in abject poverty and need comprehensive support to address their manifold social, material and spiritual challenges. It is our prayer that people may encounter Jesus Christ and be transformed by him. Many Christians in Sudan are deeply committed to tackling their country’s social and spiritual challenges and to working for the good of society, despite being under intense pressure.