Sudanese authorities evict two church leaders from their homes

Sudanese authorities have reportedly evicted two church leaders and their families from their homes in the city of Omdurman last week.

According to Morning Star News, the police conducted a raid on two houses belonging to the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) on Aug. 15. The first house was located near the Omdurman Evangelical Church, while the other was attached to Omdurman Evangelical School. Both houses were reportedly close to each other in the city across the Nile River from Khartoum.

The authorities evicted the families of the Rev. Yahia Abdelrahim Nalu, who serves as a SPEC moderator, and the Rev. Sidiq Abdalla, a SPEC pastor with two children.

Sources claimed that the eviction was part of a government-aided effort to help Muslim businessman Hisham Hamad Al-Neel to take over the church property for investment.

The families recounted that the police pounded on the doors and shouted threats during the raid. "They came and knocked on the door strongly, then said, 'Should you not open, we will have to break it by force to get in,'" said Nalu, who has a 1-year-old son.

He said that he and his family have yet to find shelter elsewhere. "The situation is very difficult, and we are living on the street," he remarked.

SPEC leaders have reportedly filed an appeal to nullify the evictions, but they are not expecting the issue to be resolved anytime soon.

The sources of Morning Star News have noted that the leadership of SPEC remains in the hands of government-appointed committee members, despite a court ruling in November 2016 that declared the appointments illegal.

The Sudanese government has designated at least 25 churches for destruction, but the Minister for Religious Endowments had promised to delay the demolition plans in March following a visit from the EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ján Figeľ. However, the minister has since been replaced, and at least two churches have already been demolished. One church worker was reportedly killed when he attempted to defend the church property from government takeover.

The government has claimed that the demolished churches were built on land that was intended for residential or other uses, or were on government land, but church leaders contended that it was a part of a wider crackdown on Christianity.

Sudan has been labeled by the U.S. State Department as a Country of Particular Concern since 1999 due to its treatment of Christians and other human rights violations. The country is also ranked fifth on the watchdog organization Open Doors' 2017 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution.