Religious Freedom in Sudan: Navigating Instability and Civil War

Religious freedom concerns are increasing in Sudan’s current brutal civil war. There are increasing reports of attacks on places of worship and other incidents that violate freedom of religion or belief. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have entrenched Sudan in the war since April 2023. The subsequent four years of instability and violence have created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, placing civilians across religious, ethnic, and tribal distinctions under intense threat. Both sides have committed atrocities that the previous U.S. administration determined to be war crimes in December 2023 and as genocide in January 2025.   On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler speaks with Sudanese human rights lawyer and CSW Sudan Specialist, Mohaned Elnour to discuss his experience working in human rights, specifically religious freedom and belief, in the country. The audience will hear firsthand the complex dynamics communities currently face in Sudan.  Read USCIRF’s 2025 Annual Report Other Global Developments and USCIRF’s most recent Sudan Issue Update. With Contributions from:Veronica McCarthy, Public Affairs Specialist, USCIRF