In Sudan, more ethnic cleansing of Christians is alleged

Alleged ethnic cleansing that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has undertaken against black Africans in the Nuba Mountains also is aimed at ridding the area of Christianity, according to humanitarian workers.

By targeting Christians in the Nuba Mountains, which also is populated by adherents of Islam and other faiths, military force helps the predominantly Arab regime in Khartoum to portray the violence as "jihad" to Muslims abroad and thus raise support from Islamic nations, one humanitarian worker said on condition of anonymity.

In South Kordofan state -- on Sudan's border with the newly created nation of South Sudan and home to sympathizers of the southern military that fought in Sudan's long civil war -- Bashir's military strikes are directed at Muslims as well as Christians, but churches and Christians are especially targeted, the worker said.

"The ongoing war against Christians and African indigenous people is more of an ethnic cleansing in that they kill all black people, including Muslims," the worker said.

"But they give specific connotation to the war in targeting Christians to secure funding and support from the Arab and Islamic world by saying this war is a religious war," he said. "And in so doing, they get huge support from those countries." Keep reading