Ecumenical groups condemn Sudan’s Port Sudan attacks
May 12, 2025 (GENEVA) – A coalition of prominent Christian organizations on Monday condemned a recent escalation of violence in Sudan, specifically decrying attacks on Port Sudan by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that they said began on May 8.
The World Council of Churches (WCC), the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA), and ACT Alliance issued a joint statement expressing their “deepest concern and strongest condemnation.”
Port Sudan, which had previously served as a vital sanctuary for displaced civilians and a central hub for humanitarian aid and diplomatic efforts, has come under intense attack, the statement said. It added that drone strikes over the past four days have deliberately targeted critical infrastructure, including the Osman Digna airbase, the airport, seaport, fuel depots, and civilian residential areas.
These attacks have “shattered the relative safety the city once provided,” the organizations stated, leading to widespread fear, destruction, and further displacement of a population already suffering from over two years of brutal conflict.
The ecumenical bodies denounced these actions as “grave violations of international humanitarian law,” asserting that “attacks on civilian infrastructure and spaces of refuge constitute war crimes.” They emphasized that such violence not only jeopardizes prospects for peace but also endangers the lives of Sudanese civilians and humanitarian workers, including their local and international partners operating in Port Sudan.
In their urgent appeal, the organizations called upon the international community, the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Security Council to “intervene decisively to halt these attacks and to hold those responsible accountable.”
They reiterated their call for an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties involved in the Sudanese conflict, urging them to ensure civilian protection and return to peaceful dialogue.
“As churches and faith-based actors rooted in the values of justice, peace, and dignity, we remain steadfast in our solidarity with the people of Sudan,” the statement concluded. “We will continue to pray, to speak, and to act until peace is restored, and the vision of a just and inclusive Sudan becomes a reality.”
The situation in Port Sudan marks a grim turning point in the ongoing Sudanese conflict, threatening to exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis and further complicate efforts towards a peaceful resolution, the groups said.