Freedom of religion in Sudan

Freedom of religion in Sudan

The 2019 transitional constitution of Sudan guarantees freedom of religion and does not use sharia as a source of law. This is different from the 2005 constitution when Omar al-Bashir was in charge. During that time, leaving Islam or speaking badly about it was against the law.

Shia Muslims and people who wanted to share other religions were treated unfairly. Christians also had limits on their religious practices.

In July 2020, leaving Islam was no longer a crime. Then, in September 2020, the new government decided to keep religion and government matters separate. This change has helped make religious life more open and fair for people in Sudan.

Religious demographics

Sudan is a large country with an area of 967,500 square miles (2,510,000 km²) and a population of 40.2 million people. Most people live in the north. Many speak Arabic and follow Islam. About 70 percent of the population practices Islam.

In the south, people often follow traditional beliefs or Christianity. Around 25 percent practice traditional beliefs. Christians are the third largest group. They are mainly found in the south and the Nuba Mountains, but many also live in northern cities like Khartoum. There are different Christian groups, including Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Orthodox communities.

Status

The law in Sudan allows people to practice their religion freely, but rules are different in the north and the south.

In the north, Islamic law (Shari'a) is used to make rules. In the south, its own constitution supports religious freedom.

In the north, changing from Islam to another religion used to be a serious crime, but this rule changed before 2020. People who criticized Islam could face time in prison, but these rules were rarely used. In the south, people are free to share their beliefs openly.

Schools in the north must teach about Islam, and classes are usually in Arabic. Christian students can sometimes skip these classes, but private Christian schools still need to hire teachers for Islamic lessons.

In the north, Friday is a day for prayer, so government offices and businesses close. Christian workers are supposed to get two hours on Sunday for worship, but this doesn’t always happen. In the south, offices and schools follow a Monday-to-Friday schedule, with Sunday for worship.

Restrictions

In the north, the government did not always enforce rules about religious freedom very well, but it did not fully respect all religions. The government favored Muslims, for example by helping to build mosques but not churches. Many Christians from the south who lived in the north faced unfair treatment in areas like jobs and education.

The government made it harder for foreign groups to come and help with Christian activities, but allowed some foreign Christian leaders to visit their local communities. Officials sometimes watched religious meetings at mosques and churches. Leaders of both religions often avoided talking about politics during their services.

Abuses

There were some reports that security forces sometimes harassed people or used threats because of their religious beliefs. These reports became less common over time. For example, in 2001, a man named Aladin Omer Agabani Mohammed was arrested in Khartoum for changing his religion from Islam to Christianity. He was kept in a place where he could not talk to anyone for three months. He was later released but had to check in with security forces every day. In early 2002, the police watched him closely and stopped him from traveling to Uganda to study.

Current situation

The government in Sudan is trying to treat people of different religions better. It has allowed Christian newspapers to be shared and let a church broadcast programs on the radio. Important jobs in the government are held by both Muslims and Christians. The government has also helped improve the Catholic cathedral in Khartoum.

Some groups say there are still problems. They report that some Christians have had trouble, including losing church property. There have also been tensions in some parts of the country. In 2025, Sudan was seen as a difficult place for Christians to live.

Social attitudes

In the northern part of Sudan, some Muslims who wanted to learn about Christianity faced pressure to stay with their original beliefs. Some universities asked women to wear headscarves during classes. The government arrested people connected to the killing of a newspaper editor in 2006. The editor had written an article that many people disagreed with about the origins of Muhammad.