According to religious freedom charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), authorities targeted Sudanese Evangelical Presbyterian Church (SEPC) in El Haj Yousif, Khartoum North.
Witnesses reported that at least three police trucks arrived at the church without notice moments after the service had ended, and security personnel started to clear and confiscate property before demolishing the church. Agents took items such as chairs, bibles and musical instruments.
CSW said the SEPC in El Haj Yousif was one of 25 churches earmarked for demolition in an official order signed in June 2016, and its leaders joined a legal challenge to prevent the government from confiscating and destroying their place of worship.
The church has stated that it is the legal owner of the property and land, and has used the building as a place of worship since 1989.
In May 2017, authorities demolished the last remaining church in the Soba Aradi district of Khartoum State, which had also been listed in the June 2016 order.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said it's a deeply concerning situation.
He said: "The timing of the demolition, coming at the end of the Sunday service amidst a heavy police presence, is clearly an act of intimidation targeting the Christian community.
"We urge the government of Sudan to uphold the constitutionally-guaranteed right to freedom of religion or belief for all citizens without preference, and to ensure that the SEPC in El Haj Yousif has a place in which to worship and is fully compensated for its losses."
CSW said on 5th February 2018, six SEPC members and an elder were fined for committing public nuisance. Another 18 church members were acquitted of the same charges. The group had been arrested in April 2017 as they peacefully protested against the takeover of a school run by the church. During a peaceful sit-in, Younan Abdulla, a 28 year-old SEPC elder, was fatally stabbed.
According to CSW, the SEPC has fought a long battle against government interference. The Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments, which oversees religious affairs in Sudan, authorised two committees, to act on behalf of the denomination.
These illegally-convened committees have approved the sale of land and properties to Muslim investors against the wishes of the SEPCs leadership. In August 2015, the administrative court ruled that the government was wrong by authorising the illegally-convened to act on behalf of the denomination, but the ruling was ignored by the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments.
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