Christians claim victimisation after schools, churches demolished

The authorities in Khartoum last week demolished two Christian church buildings and two schools at Hayy Barakah, a suburb of Khartoum, in what displaced southern Christians claim is religious victimisation, the BBC reported. The two schools owned by Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) and the Presbyterian Church, had a combined roll of 1,440 students. Four other Catholic schools in the area, with a roll of about 2,500 pupils, were also served with a final notice of demolition on 27 April, the BBC said. The ministry of engineering affairs in Khartoum State has acknowledged that it ordered the destruction of the two schools and two churches, arguing that they were situated in an unplanned area. The displaced southern Sudanese in Khartoum - about two million in number - claim they are routinely denied the official permits required to build schools and churches, and say the state provides no alternative to the community's Christian schools, the BBC reported. Touring the sites, Bishop Rorech of the ECS - a ranking official in the foreign ministry - told the BBC he knew there was religious persecution in the country, and said he and other church leaders would meet the authorities, including President Omar al-Bashir and Speaker of Parliament Hassan al-Turabi, in the next few days to protest against the demolitions.