Amid ongoing tensions and the rise of extremist influences, a Sudanese refugee in South Sudan confronts serious threats to his life after converting from Islam to Christianity.
Having escaped Sudan’s military conflict two years prior, the 31-year-old found sanctuary at the Gorom Refugee Settlement, situated 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Juba. His decision to embrace Christianity came on May 10, inspired by viewing the Jesus Film at a local church within the camp.
The shift in faith, although spiritually fulfilling for him, sparked intense hostility from certain hardline Muslim factions within the camp.
“After I believed in Jesus, radical Muslims started to persecute me and other converts,” he shared with Morning Star News.
News of his conversion quickly reached his family in Darfur, Sudan. Holding strict Islamic beliefs about apostasy, his family has since disowned him and sanctioned his execution.
“My family wants me dead,” he stated.
In an attempt to safeguard his life, he now resides within the church premises. However, the threat from extremists remains palpable, with church leaders expressing concerns over his safety. The pastor, who wishes to remain unnamed, emphasized the persistent danger he faces.
In addition to security threats, the harsh living conditions in the refugee camp add to his challenges.
“Life is difficult for us; food is a problem,” he noted, asking for prayers for the conversion of his family to Christianity.
Despite South Sudan’s constitutional support for religious freedom, including the rights to evangelize and convert, societal and familial pressures in refugee communities from restrictive areas often persist.
Although Sudan abolished its apostasy law in 2020, cultural and radical perspectives on conversion remain strong, exposing converts to threats like “honor” killings or mob attacks.
Church leaders at the Gorom camp urge enhanced security measures for religious converts and seek resources to meet the basic needs of those persecuted for their faith. The camp struggles with severe shortages of essentials due to its population exceeding its intended capacity.
Initially designed for around 2,500 Ethiopian refugees in 2010, the U.N.-supported camp has expanded significantly. By August 2023, it housed over 10,000, including many fleeing Sudan.
Following anti-Sudanese violence in Juba in January 2025, the camp’s population surged to over 22,000 by April.
Sudan’s demographic is predominantly Muslim at 93%, with ethnic traditional religions making up 4.3% and Christians just 2.3%, according to the Joshua Project.
Sudan was ranked No. 4 on the 2026 Open Doors’ World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution. Previously, in 2021, it had dropped to No. 13, marking its first exit from the top 10 in six years.
The U.S. State Department, which had listed Sudan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) from 1999 to 2018, moved it to a watch list in 2019. By December 2020, Sudan was removed from the Special Watch List.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
