NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — In the besieged Sudanese city of El-Fasher, the Rev. Daramali Abudigin is staying on, even as random bombs, stray bullets and hunger kill members of his flock.
The 44-year-old priest has kept St. Mathew, of the Anglican Church of Sudan, open to all Christians, after increased fighting has forced other pastors and priests to flee. Here, people live one day at a time, and if stray bombs and bullets do not kill them, hunger does not spare them, especially children.
In May, the priest lost five church members who were living with him after the armed men randomly shot at the church compound. The deaths nearly moved him to abandon the city. “I didn’t leave the church. In a while, I considered leaving, but I changed my mind. I am still staying with my flock. Whenever we lose a person, it makes me very sad,” said Abudigin, who lives in the city with his wife and three sons.
El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, one of five states in the Darfur region, has been under a blockade from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April of last year. The group declared a blockade after local militia declared allegiance to the Sudan Armed Forces.
The fighting in Sudan began in April 2023, four years after the two groups that worked together to overthrow the dictator, Hassan Omar al-Bashir, disagreed on the direction the country should take. The two forces, both largely consisting of Muslims, have battled for control of the country since then.
Beginning in March, the battle shifted to Darfur, the RSF’s base in the west of the country, after the army pushed the paramilitary out of the capital, Khartoum, and other areas. Recently, the RSF has intensified attacks on the city to capture it from the army. The force has carried out ground and aerial assaults, launching missile attacks, and has constantly shelled the city. Its battlewagons have also attempted to storm the city.
St. Mathew Church in El-Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. (Courtesy photo)
At least 57 people died in the city on Aug. 11 after the militias opened fire on homes and streets.
“The bombs and the bullets strike homes,” Abudigin told Religion News Service in an online interview. “The markets are very dangerous. One can lose their life anywhere and any time.”
The Rev. Luka Jomo, the pastor of a Catholic church in El-Fasher, was struck by a stray bullet when paramilitary militias attacked the city in June. Abudigin, who knew Jomo well, rushed him to the hospital, but too late to save his life. Two young men staying with him were also killed.
