Christians in Sudan request prayer against ongoing attempts to seize church property, which led to the fatal stabbing of a church elder on 3rd April.
Against the wishes of the church denomination, the government has imposed an illegal committee on the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church. Since 2013 this committee has been selling church properties to businessmen aligned with the government.
One of the properties involved is the Evangelical School in Omdurman. On 3rd April Christians had been at the school during a three-day peaceful protest against the illegal appropriation of the school by a businessman who is also a policeman. The police came and arrested all the men, leaving the women behind. Then a group of about 20 persons, including members of the committee, entered the premises of the school with knives and other weapons and began to beat the women.
Several men from the nearby Bahri Evangelical Church rushed to the church to try and protect the women. The armed men attacked them and two church members were stabbed. Younan Abdullah (pictured), an elder in Bahri Evangelical Church, later died of his injuries. A second church member, Ayoub Kumama, was treated at a nearby hospital and has since been discharged.
Younan is survived by his wife and two young children.
Prior to this attack the police had repeatedly arrested Christians in peaceful protests at the school, including Younan a week before he was killed.
During Monday’s attack the police were present but failed to intervene to protect those who were attacked. They also failed to help Younan after he was stabbed.
Following Younan’s death the police arrested Mr Shamshoun Hamoud, a member of the illegal committee who was identified by eye witnesses as the person who stabbed Younan. None of the other attackers have been arrested.
Younan’s funeral took place on 4th April at the Evangelical School in Omdurman. Younan’s family were present, as were the United States Ambassador to Sudan and the Second Secretary of the British Embassy.
MAY BE CIRCULATED TO GENERAL MAILING LISTS, OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS, AND QUOTED FROM FREELY IN REPORTS CITING “MIDDLE EAST CONCERN” AS THE SOURCE OF THE INFORMATION.
Prayer points
Christians in Sudan request prayer:
a. that Younan’s family will know the Lord’s strength, peace and comfort
b. for wisdom, patience and peace for church leaders and members as they face ongoing attempts to confiscate church properties, including the Evangelical School in Omdurman and the compound of the Bahri Evangelical Church
c. that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice, subject to a fair judicial process
d. for an end to the increasing pressure against Christians in Sudan, and that Christians will know the peace of the Lord
e. that those involved in instigating this pressure will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him
