On Sunday 5 April 2026, something quietly remarkable took place in Khartoum. For the first time since the outbreak of war on 15 April 2023, an Easter service was held at All Saints Cathedral Khartoum, led by Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo.
Less than two weeks later the Third Anniversary of the War took place on 15 April 2026. The Archbishop’s open letter to mark this anniversary is shared below with his permission:
The Episcopal Church of Sudan has been a valued partner of the Relay Trust for a number of years. That partnership has been shaped through shared work and regular presence. Before the war, our CEO travelled frequently in 2022 and early 2023, visiting Khartoum, El Obeid, Kadugli, Wad Medani, and Port Sudan. These visits built strong relationships with church leaders and gave a clear picture of both the opportunities and the challenges facing the Church. After the war began, that connection did not stop. A return visit was made to Port Sudan in November 2024. Archbishop Ezekiel visited us in Oxford in November 2025, and we met again in Cairo in January 2026. In February 2026, John Inglis Jones travelled to the Nuba Mountains, where the Church continues to serve in conditions of isolation and hardship. These are not distant links. They are signs of shared life in the gospel. Across Africa, we see how this is strengthened through training.
Looking ahead, we are hoping to support the Church in Sudan to restart training for both lay and ordained leaders in the coming year. As congregations return and the life of the Church begins to gather again, the need for clear biblical teaching and wise pastoral leadership is urgent. Please pray for Archbishop Ezekiel and for the Church in Khartoum as it begins again. Pray for peace in Sudan. And pray that through renewed training and discipleship, many will come to know the risen Lord Jesus. Because even here, the light shines in the darkness. And the darkness has not overcome it.