The Bishop of El Obeid—a region marked by the ongoing conflict which has killed 60,000 people—explains that despite the violence, “we believe in the day that follows death and sets us free.”
By Ilaria De Bonis For the Diocese of El Obeid, Sudan, this year’s Holy Week is one of “real passion” as the invitation to share in Christ’s suffering is a tangible reality for them. The country is still torn apart by a war—though not a civil one—which started three years ago, on April 15, 2023, by two rival armies. Speaking on the phone from El Obeid in the North Kordofan region, Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille, born in 1964, explained the community is celebrating “our own passion together with that of Jesus.” The death toll across the country has surpassed 60,000 people, including thousands of children. For the bishop, the month of April carries a double meaning, as he was appointed to the episcopal office to lead the vast diocese on April 23, 2017. “We are preparing for the celebrations in the parishes together with the entire pastoral council from the various centers of the diocese, full of hope,” he continued. “But the reality is that we live in a besieged city. We hear the sound of drones and aircraft. The people of El Obeid have almost grown accustomed to these sounds—they are part of our daily life. They are always there.” Solidarity and communion in the face of fear The drones are a sign that the war is not over; rather, it has become concentrated in Kordofan, in the center of the country. El Obeid is a strategic city that has changed hands several times. The bishop speaks of the daily reality of conflict—not of “normalization”—and of life that must go on despite everything. “There are different degrees of fear,” he explained. “We live in the same country, but fear is not the same everywhere, nor is it the same for everyone in Sudan.” The fact that Catholic pastors have remained in place, and that he himself has stayed close to the community despite opportunities to move to a safer area, “has helped—and continues to help—people feel less alone and supported. It gives them courage and makes us feel like one body.” Monsignor Tombe also notes that it is not only the Catholic Church. “All the other Christian churches stand close to one another.” Still no negotiations In some ways, the war levels differences and brings people closer together. “We are all neutral in Sudan; we do not take sides—we are simple people. People carrying the cross in the midst of war: we have lost loved ones, homes, land—everything.” The bishop stressed that there are no differences in status. “The war has affected us all equally,” he noted. “In these conditions, the Resurrection of Jesus takes on an even deeper meaning because it gives us the hope that we too may rise to new life as He did.” And yet, only a deeply rooted faith makes it possible to glimpse a way forward. At present, there is nothing to suggest a path toward peace or even concrete negotiations between the leaders of the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Still, Bishop Tombe remains certain “that peace will come and change the destiny of the country. Despite death, we believe in the day that follows death and sets us free.” One year since the brutal attack on Zamzam camp Sudan’s present moment is one of Calvary. April also marks another painful “anniversary”: on April 11, 2025, the Rapid Support Forces launched a brutal attack on the Zamzam refugee camp, which at the time hosted around half a million people. A recent report by Doctors Without Borders recalls testimonies of extreme violence: hundreds were killed, and hundreds of women were raped. “We saw very terrible things in Zamzam. Soldiers captured the daughters of people in the camp and assaulted them,” a witness told the organization. For three years now, Sudan has marked anniversaries of destruction. “War is never a good thing—never, for any reason, and for anyone,” the bishop recalled. “Not even for those who wage it.” The upcoming apostolic journey of Pope Leo to Africa is a source of great hope for the Sudanese community. “We share in the joy of our brothers and sisters in West Africa who will receive the Pope’s visit,” says Bishop Tombe. “He will not come to Sudan, but he will come closer to us—and we too will be enriched by this journey, I am sure.”