Posted on: 27th June 2024

The plight of people in war-torn Sudan was witnessed first hand by Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines and Bishop of Bradford, Toby Howarth during a recent visit to our link diocese.

This significant visit to a country riven by conflict was aimed at showing our diocese’s ongoing support for the many Christians displaced by hostilities, explained Bishop Nick:

“Essentially, we went to visit our sisters and brothers in the Episcopal Church of Sudan. Although Port Sudan itself is safe, we visited camps for displaced people and refugees, listening to stories of loss at every level: family, land, home, possessions, jobs, hopes. 2,000 people in a single camp, many of them children living in fear or uncertainty and with little food or effective sanitation,” Bishop Nick said.

“We also listened to stories of terrible violence. One pastor told how his home had been raided in Khartoum and everything destroyed or stolen. After his fourth beating by RSF soldiers, he was asked how he wanted to die. It was his Muslim neighbour who saved and gave him refuge until he could escape and make his way to Port Sudan.

Bishop Toby told how they hoped to make people feel that they are not abandoned:

"The main reason Bishop Nick and I went was basically to say, 'you are not forgotten, we pray for you every day, we love you, we stand with you'," he said.

To read more about this visit, please click HERE.