165 Churches Destroyed: USCIRF Demands Trump Act on Sudans Genocide Against Christians

USCIRF Demands Trump Administration Take Action on Sudan's Horrific Persecution of Christians

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the Trump administration to spotlight the suffering of Christians and religious minorities in Sudan, calling for the same level of attention given to Christian persecution in Nigeria.

In its landmark 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended for the first time that the U.S. State Department designate Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as an "Entity of Particular Concern" (EPC) under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.

The recommendation comes amid devastating violence. A drone strike on a mosque in Sudan killed more than 70 people. From June 9 to 11, 2025, the RSF launched coordinated airstrikes on three churches in El Fasher, North Darfur, targeting the Sudanese Episcopal Church, the African Inland Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. At least five people were killed, including Father Luka Jumu.

USCIRF cited the "harmful effects to religious freedom and Sudan's diverse religious and ethnic communities" caused by the RSF's campaign of mass atrocities. A United Nations report found that RSF actions during and after the siege of El Fasher in October 2025 bore the "hallmarks of genocide," particularly targeting non Arab Darfuri Fur and Zaghawa communities.

The designation merits consideration given the targeted nature of attacks launched on Darfuri communities on the basis of their ethnicity or religious identity.

CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas said in response to the USCIRF report.

More than 165 churches have been forced to close since the civil war began in April 2023. The RSF has vandalized churches and converted others into military bases. Christian Solidarity Worldwide's Sudan representative reported that many churches have been intentionally destroyed, and Christians are denied the right to work and free movement.

Displaced Christians who fled El Fasher walked 18 hours to reach Tawila, where 117 Christian families now gather for daily prayers under a desert date tree. The RSF and SAF conflict has created the world's largest displacement crisis, with credible reports linking the UAE to arms supplies for the RSF.

Trump Administration Pressured to Designate Sudan's RSF for Systematic Religious Freedom Violations

The USCIRF report documented that Sudan now ranks No. 4 on the global Christian persecution watch list. The commission urged policymakers to address religious persecution through diplomatic pressure, sanctions, and protection for victims fleeing violence. The final decision on the EPC designation rests with the U.S. Secretary of State.

The Crusader's Opinion

The RSF is not a political movement. It is a genocidal militia that systematically targets Christians, burns churches, and murders priests. Father Luka Jumu was killed in an airstrike on his own church. Let that sink in. 165 churches destroyed. Christians walking 18 hours through the desert just to survive, praying under trees because every house of God has been turned into a military barracks or a pile of rubble.

And yet, where is the global outrage? If Christians were bombing mosques in any Western nation, it would be the only story on every news channel for months. But when an Islamist militia systematically exterminates African Christians, the world shrugs. USCIRF is right to demand action. The question is whether this administration will actually follow through, or whether Sudan's Christians will continue to be the forgotten victims of a genocide the world refuses to name.

Take Action

• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians in Sudan and across Africa.
• Support Open Doors USA and sign their petition calling for increased U.S. government action to protect Sudanese Christians.
• Give to Voice of the Martyrs who are providing emergency relief to displaced Sudanese believers.
• Contact your U.S. representative and senators. Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224 3121 and urge them to support the USCIRF recommendation to designate the RSF as an Entity of Particular Concern.
• Support Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) who are on the ground advocating for religious freedom in Sudan.
• Pray for the 117 Christian families in Tawila and all displaced believers in Sudan. Share this article to raise awareness about the forgotten genocide.