Drones and War: Christians in Khartoum Keep Praying
An air strike by the Rapid Support Forces left four dead in the Sudanese capital, ICC reported.
On October 19, drones flew over Khartoum. The Rapid Support Forces attacked areas under the control of the Sudanese army, International Christian Concern (ICC) reported in a story on Christians in Khartoum, where war broke out in April 2023.
Four dead and a divided city
The air strike left four people dead and several wounded, ICC reported. Residents woke to the buzzing of drones over the capital and the certainty that the war is far from over. Since April 2023, the conflict has turned Khartoum into a landscape of damaged buildings, empty streets and broken lives.
The churches that once filled with hymns and prayer have been looted, occupied or destroyed. Families who worshiped together have been scattered. Those who chose to stay have learned to live with the possibility of sudden violence, whether it comes from the ground or from the sky.
«Praying for Khartoum on the days with no news is also a way of standing with them.»
A minority carrying extra weight
Christians in Khartoum have been a minority for years. During the war they face the same dangers as everyone else, but many also carry a burden of their own.
Some have seen their meeting places turned into military positions or reduced to rubble. Others feel the quiet pressure of discrimination amid the chaos. Converts and church leaders move more cautiously, because in lawless times the most vulnerable are exposed.
What does a community do when its church building is gone? In Khartoum the answer looks like small groups, discreet locations and a lot of patience. The church is still there, with fewer people and without noise.
"Your rod and your staff, they comfort me"
A pastor who works with ICC and asked that his name not be revealed put it this way: "Your rod and your staff comfort us, even when drones fly overhead and the night is long" (translation by Sígueme). These are the words of men who have buried members of their congregations and led prayers in half-destroyed buildings.
Another witness, also anonymous, said that hope sustains them and that God is still on the throne in Khartoum. Both return to the same texts to hold on.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4, ESV).
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1, ESV).
Anyone who repeats these words while hearing artillery knows what it costs to believe them.
Praying through the long days too
The war has tested their faith, but it has not put it out. What they ask of the church in the rest of the world is simple: remember them in prayer, not only when an attack shows up in the news, but in the long, weary days of survival.
This week you can do something concrete. Set aside a few minutes each day to pray for Christians in Khartoum: for those who lost their homes, for leaders who meet in secret and for those who have no place to worship today. And when someone asks you why you pray for a city you may not be able to find on a map, tell them what is happening.
Will you do it?
