SPLM-N condemns murder of Sudanese Church elder in Omdurman

April 8, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North has condemned a violent attack on Sudanese Christians who protested the sale of the Evangelical School to a group of businessmen in the twin capital city of Omdurman.

On 3 April, Church elder Younan Abdallah was stabbed to death inside the Omdurman Evangelical School which located nearby his church when he tried to interfere and prevent a group of men from beating women protesting the sale of the school.

The sale of the Evangelical school, which was done by a contested executive committee of the Church, reflected a deep conflict over the administration of the school between two Sudanese Christian groups who are almost from the Nuba Mountains area in South Kordofan.

SPLM-N Secretary General Yasir Arman in a statement extended to Sudan tribune accused the Sudanese government of targeting the Sudanese Christian after South Sudan secession, pointing that over 20 churches have been burned down and destroyed by the Sudan government

” Any fair investigation into the matter will lead to the role of the security agencies into this incident,” he said.

“This issue (of religious freedom) is an integral part of the nation building in Sudan and undermining such rights led to the secession of South Sudan,” he further said.

The Sudanese foreign ministry condemned Younan’s murder and said the killer was arrested and he would face justice. Also, it denied any intervention from the Sudanese authorities in this incident stressing that the conflict is between two Christian groups disputing the administration of the school.

Arman called on the Sudanese to manifest their solidarity with the Sudanese Christians and their constitutional right to practice their faith.

He further called on the Evangelicals in the United States and the U.S. Administration, Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to pay attention to the human rights violations of the Sudan government, especially when it comes to Christians.

“We call on the United States government to tie the lifting of the sanctions to the improvement of human rights and for the Sudan government to address the humanitarian situation, to end genocide and war crimes, and to stop sponsoring terrorism,” he said.

The U.S. embassy in Khartoum has condemned the death of Sudanese priest and called on the Sudanese authorities to “ensure that all perpetrators involved in this heinous act are brought to justice. Nothing is achieved through violence and intimidation”.

The church and school were founded by American Presbyterian missionaries in 1924.

(ST)