Sudan: War leaves country without seminarians

The “war of the generals” has raged across an already weakened country for a year now. The population is in agony, and its small Christian community is shrinking.

“I once again ask the conflicting sides to stop this war, which is so harmful to the people and to the future of the country. Let us pray that paths of peace can be found soon, in order to build the future of dear Sudan,” pleaded Pope Francis during the Angelus on February 18th.

Since April 15, 2023, there has been heavy fighting between the Sudanese army commanded by the current transitional president, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by the vice president, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who is also known by the alias Hemedti. These two men had jointly overthrown a transitional government that was put in place after the removal of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

But immediately after, the two fell out over the integration of the RSF into the regular army and the division of the country’s wealth. Sudan is the third largest producer of gold in Africa, and Hemedti owns several gold mines in the north. Al-Burhan, meanwhile, is linked to the army, which owns many buildings and businesses that it is reluctant to surrender to a civilian government it does not control.

With neither party backing down, the future appears bleak. The “war of the generals” is causing the slow death of the Sudanese people. The latest official figures show more than 13,900 deaths and 8.1 million displaced people, 1.8 million of whom are outside the country. The population suffers from hunger and thirst, while the conflict appears to have been forgotten by the international community. But “[given] the intensity of this war, many local people are wondering how the two sides have so many weapons available after a year of fighting, and therefore, who is funding them,” says Kinga Schierstaedt, project coordinator for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Sudan.

And as this happens, the local Church is shrinking away. “Before the war, it represented five percent of the population, but it was tolerated and could run some hospitals and schools – even if it wasn’t allowed to openly proclaim the Faith,” explains Schierstadt. The fall of Omar al-Bashir brought certain improvements in terms of religious liberty, and punishments according to the Sharia penal code were abolished. It was at this stage that ACN was able to finance and help import a host machine for the Diocese of El Obeid, which would have been impossible in previous years, Schierstaedt continues. But this newfound freedom was short-lived.

Though a minority, the Church has always been a “safe harbor” for the population, and at the start of the war, . Now this refuge is fragile. Many missionaries and religious communities have had to leave the country, and parishes, hospitals, and schools have stopped their activity. The preparatory seminary of Khartoum, where students spend a year getting ready for their formation, has had to close its doors. Fortunately, seminarians who managed to flee are able to pursue their formation in the Diocese of Malakal, in the neighboring country of South Sudan.

When the war broke out, Archbishop Michael Didi of Khartoum was at Port Sudan, on the Red Sea coast, and has not been able to return to his city. Bishop Tombe Trile of the Diocese of El Obeid has moved into the local cathedral because his house was partly destroyed. Many Christians have fled on foot or via the Nile and have settled in refugee camps where survival is a daily battle. Today, the very existence of the Church in Sudan is in question.

But according to one of ACN’s project partners, there is still hope in the midst of the darkness: “Although it is true that the war continues, it cannot quench faith. Sixteen new Christians were baptized in Port Sudan during the Easter Vigil, and 34 adults were confirmed at Kosti!”

Thanks to the support of ACN, among others, the Church also remains very active in South Sudan, assisting refugees from its neighbor to the north and helping Sudanese seminarians continue their formation. “Coming back from South Sudan, which shares the same bishops’ conference, I was amazed to see how certain priests, who are refugees themselves, are using their energy to catechize in their new parish and to support other refugees. The Church in South Sudan is getting ready for the future by helping Sudanese Christians prepare for tomorrow’s peace,” Schierstadt concludes.

—Amélie Berthelin