On Sunday 14 May, the Coptic Orthodox church of Mar-Girgis in the neighbourhood of Masalma in Umm Durman, Sudan came under attack in which a random shooting left three injured. The priest was beaten and the church incurred damages.
The Sudanese Army issued a statement accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the attack, describing the incident as an extension of the RSF violations of international law and established norms.
The RSF, however, rejected the Army’s accusations, and reciprocated by a statement it posted on Twitter stating that an extremist terrorist group affiliated with the coup forces opened fire on the Mar Girgis church, which caused serious injuries among the worshippers. “Our forces include not a few Christians,” RSF said.
According to a statement by the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the RSF beat the priest after attacking the worshipers, and broke into a home for elderly women and a girls’ boarding school attached to the church looking for money. “When they could not find any,” the statement read, “they stole mobile phones and laptops that belonged to the worshippers and to the church.”
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “criminal behaviour and flagrant violation of human rights and international law”, and called on the international community and human rights organisations to condemn this “barbaric behavior by the rebel militia”, and to designate it a terrorist organisation.
For its part, the Coptic Church in Sudan is closely following all developments, and has advised Copts in Sudan to stay away from conflict districts. The Coptic Church had halted all church services once the war broke out on 15 April.
Watani International
15 May 2023