The Sudan Council of Churches held a prayer gathering in Khartoum on Saturday, bringing together Christian leaders and representatives of different denominations to pray for peace and an end to the suffering caused by the country’s war.
The gathering was held at the Khartoum International Fairgrounds under the slogan “Come with one heart… together we pray for Sudan.”
Sudan’s army chief and head of the Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, attended the event, along with Sovereign Council Deputy Chairman Malik Agar.
Addressing the gathering, Gen. Burhan said religious teachings promote peace, love and brotherhood and called on Sudanese to reject division and hatred.
He said the event demonstrates national unity and expressed hope that security, stability and peace would return to Sudan.
Meanwhile, Malik Agar described the gathering as a reflection of national unity, saying peace is a value shared by different religions.
Church leaders led prayers for peace and security across Sudan, the easing of people’s suffering and the recovery of communities affected by the conflict.
The head of the Sudan Council of Churches called on attendees to observe a moment of silence for those who had died during the war.
Some religious leaders had previously raised concerns about the gathering and the involvement of the authorities, with disagreements reported over the event’s organisation.
Christians are a minority in predominantly Muslim Sudan. Pew Research Center data from 2020 estimated that Christians accounted for 5.4% of the country’s population.
The gathering comes as Sudan remains embroiled in a war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The conflict has displaced millions of people and created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
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