A religious freedom watchdog has urged Donald Trump’s administration to highlight the persecution of believers in Sudan, in the same way that it has recognised Christian suffering in Nigeria.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on the State Department to designate Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces an Entity of Particular Concern (EPC).

It is the first time the Rapid Support Forces have been recommended for the special status. In 2020, the State Department designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern. USCIRF’s annual recommendations are reviewed by the Secretary of State, who is responsible for making the final designation.

The recommendation comes in light of a UN report, which found that RSF actions during and after the siege of El Fasher in October 2025 bore the “hallmarks of genocide,” particularly against the non-Arab Darfuri Fur and Zaghawa communities.

Christians were already experiencing persecution as a minority in the Muslim-majority country. Since April 2023, the RSF and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have engaged in a violent conflict, resulting in the world’s largest displacement crisis. Among its atrocities are mass killings, sexual violence, forced displacement, and attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and places of worship.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Sudan representative, who goes by Mohaned, told Premier Christian News: “Many churches have been intentionally destroyed. Christians are denied the right to work and the right to free movement within the country.”

He urged the international community to pay attention to Sudan, adding: “Religious expression is really difficult… it is a war on civilians.”