Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo has reported that the Anglican Cathedral in Khartoum came under attack on Monday evening 17 April 2023, as elements of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Force (RSF) clashed in a bid for control of the capital.

The fighting between the SAF, led by Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, and the RSF headed by Lt Gen Mohamed ‘Hemeti’ Dagalo, has been characterised by the military government as an attempted coup by the RSF. 

On Saturday 15 April fierce fighting between the factions took place at the presidential palace, the Khartoum airport, and the city television broadcasting centre. On Sunday the fighting spread to the Merowe airbase in the north, and has been reported in Omduraman, North Darfur and Port Sudan. The UN mission in Sudan reported that as of Tuesday there were 270 killed and approximately 2700 wounded by the fighting.

The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Rev Nick Baines, wrote on 18 April 2023 he had been in contact with the primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, Archbishop Kondo, who had texted that morning to say the cathedral compound had been raided the previous night, “and their cars destroyed using firearms”. 

The Diocese of Leeds published a note on its website stating: “The Archbishop of Sudan, Ezekiel Kondo, in an email to the diocese recounted how, ‘an exchange of fires intensified and armed Forces entered the Cathedral premises and began to break cars with guns’.”

Ian Woodward, chair of the the Diocese of Salisbury's Sudan link group reported that forty-two people escaped the Cathedral compound during the attack, including the archbishop and family members. 

Archbishop Ezekiel, his family and others escaping the scene were forced to travel through bombed out streets where buildings still burned.

Mr Woodward reported that he had remained in touch since the event and was reassured that at present the Cathedral escapees were in a safer situation.

As foreign nationals are airlifted out, Sudanese locals are now left dealing with conflict-damaged supply lines with water, food and electricity scarce and barriers to receiving outside help such as the now collapsed banking system. 

Archbishop Ezekiel Konda called on the Church worldwide to keep his people in their prayers.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said: “We hold the nation of Sudan in our prayers at this time. Lord God, protect the civilians, bring peace to this appalling crisis in the nation’s life, and allow political stability to return.”