Sudan bans construction of new churches

July 23, 2014

All Saints' Cathedral in Khartoum is an Anglican church and one of the houses of worship that the Sudanese government says is enough to serve the remaining Christian population. RNS photo by Fredrick Nzwili

c. 2014 Religion News Service

(RNS) Christians in Sudan frequently face arrests, impromptu questioning, and expulsion. But this month, conditions worsened after the government announced a ban on the construction of new churches.

Shalil Abdullah, the Sudanese minister for guidance and religious endowments, made the announcement on July 12, sparking criticism from top Christian clerics who warned of shrinking worship space in the mainly Muslim and Arab north.

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