The Sudanese Anglican Cathedral Becomes a Cemetery for War Victims

Sudan Events – Agencies

All Saints’ Anglican Cathedral in Khartoum remains standing despite the war that has ravaged the capital. However, its compound has now become a cemetery, with the altar vandalized and the pews taken by soldiers to use as firewood, according to Bishop Ezekiel Kondo.
At the start of the war in April 2023, the cathedral was the residence of Kondo, the 67-year-old patriarch of the Episcopal (Anglican) Church in Sudan. On April 15, 2023, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soldiers quickly seized the compound and turned it into a base of operations while Kondo and his family were still inside.
“It happened suddenly, and no one expected it,” Kondo said in an interview with RNS from Port Sudan, a city on the Red Sea where he has taken refuge since last June. “It was a Saturday, and we were in the office preparing for Sunday service after the first week of Easter. We heard intense gunfire, and when we went out, we saw thick smoke rising nearby.”
The war is between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, headed by Janjaweed leader Hemedti. The two factions turned on each other after jointly overthrowing the civilian government.
Media restrictions and difficulty in delivering aid have made it hard to obtain accurate statistics on the extent of the destruction. The United Nations estimates that 750,000 people are at risk of famine, while U.S. envoy Tom Perriello estimates the war has killed as many as 150,000 people. Other estimates suggest a much lower number, with around 15,000 confirmed deaths. Over 10 million people have been displaced, making it the largest displacement crisis globally, and 25 million more are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, more than half the country’s population.
The cathedral is located near army headquarters and the airport, where full-scale war broke out during Ramadan last year. As armed clashes escalated, RSF forces rushed to surround the church compound, hoping that the place of worship wouldn’t be bombed and would provide them some protection.
“They were there at the gate, and we couldn’t do anything. We couldn’t leave,” Kondo said. “All the families there gathered in the church hall, and others joined us too. We spent three nights there.”
After three days in the cathedral’s basement without food or water, Kondo and other leaders decided to leave. Following interrogations at gunpoint, soldiers finally allowed them to go. The church leaders and their families then walked for an hour and a half to find transport to southern Khartoum, where the violence was less severe. Kondo’s family stayed there for two months before they had to move again when the shelling intensified.
“One of the shells landed near where we were,” Kondo said. He then decided to move with his family to Port Sudan. “It was very difficult, but we thank God. He has been our protector.”
In Port Sudan, Kondo continues advocating for peace while serving the diocese there, staying in touch with Anglicans still in Khartoum.
“There are pastors still with the people there, and I tell them to be strong and not be afraid,” Kondo said.