A minister in Sudan’s TASIS administration has called for independent investigations into abuses against Christians, arguing that scrutiny must cover both the current war and the legacy of Islamist rule.
Writing on September 13, Adel Shalouka, youth and sports minister in the TASIS-backed transitional administration, challenged reporting that focused on allegations against the Rapid Support Forces.
He was responding to an Al Hadath report about UN envoy Pekka Haavisto’s meeting with church leaders in Khartoum. According to Shalouka’s account of that report, the leaders described discriminatory practices attributed to the RSF at places of worship.
Shalouka said allegations required clear evidence and independent investigation. He argued that persecution of Christians predated the war and accused institutions under the former Islamist government of enforcing discriminatory policies.
He called for investigations into historical and wartime abuses, with accountability regardless of the perpetrators’ affiliation.
Any attack on a church, worshippers or someone targeted because of their faith should be investigated, whether those responsible belonged to the RSF, Sudanese Armed Forces or another armed group, he wrote.
