26th February 2018
Urgent Action
DEMOLITION OF EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN KHARTOUM NORTH, SUDAN
On Sunday 11th February 2018, personnel from combat riot police in Khartoum
state of Sudan demolished the Evangelical Church in Al-Haj Yousif neighborhood
of Khartoum North giving the reason that, the church’s plot had been sold. As a
result, the church Congregants have no place to worship from. The demolished
Evangelical Church is located in AL-Bashir square – 3 in Al-Haj Yousif
neighborhood of Khartoum North town in Khartoum State of Sudan. This church was
established in 1989 on the same space. It’s an Evangelical church but they
accept in agreement with other congregants/ sects to worship/fellowship from
there. About a hundred (100) people worship in this church. On 11th February
2018, a group of policemen from combat riot police came to the church and
demolished it. This was immediately after the congregants were done with the
morning service/ prayers. Demolition was based on a claim by the head of the
neighborhood’s popular committee named Abduelkareem Saleh, he claims ownership
of the church land and that he is in a process of handing the land to the new
owner who bought it from him. The church demolition happened with no evidence
of an order from authorities. After destroying the building (church), they took
all the church property to unknown place. Immediately after demolishing, the
church authority submitted a criminal lawsuit against Abduelkareem to Al-Haj
Yousif attorney/ prosecution office. HUDO calls upon:
· Sudan government to
respect the religious rights of Sudanese Christians and to maintain the rule of
law.
· The Sudanese society,
international community and embassies in Sudan to support the Sudanese
Christians and observe the running case. HUDO Centre More Information This
church was established on the current land since 1989 when the neighborhood was
a remote area. In 1996, this area was surveyed for re-planning and by then the
church got the registration card which gives priority to the existing building
to acquire its plot but, without giving reasons, the authorities have not
permitted. After, the church authority went ahead for the state land authority
inquiring on denying them the land, the authority justified that, they should
get the acceptance and recommendation of the neighborhood’s popular committee.
When they went to the popular committee, the same head of the committee
(Abduelkareem) informed them that, the plot should be under individual name not
the church. Since then, the committee has not offered them the recommendation
up to year 2000 when Abduelkareem submitted a lawsuit against the church
claiming that, he owns the plot. Since then, the case has been before court up
to late 2017 when the case was frozen without justification or a clear verdict.
On 31st December 2017, while the church members were in the church praying, the
claimant (Abduelkareem) came with a troop of police to evict them but he had no
court eviction order and the church authority together with the member’s
present resisted.