GOROM REFUGEE CAMP, South Sudan — A group of Muslims entered a church inside the Gorom Refugee Camp and assaulted Drake Haron, a Sudanese Christian convert from Islam, in an unprovoked attack that the U.S.-based monitoring group International Christian Concern reported this week.
The assault took place May 28 inside the small refugee church where Haron worships, a space that serves as one of the last remaining structures of safety and communal identity for displaced Christians in the camp. The perpetrators remain unidentified, according to ICC.
“For me, being a Christian is a privilege,” Haron said. “That Jesus had to die for my sins for me to be saved means a lot to me. Based on that reality, I have chosen to follow him and to do his will, which is preaching the gospel.”
Haron, a Sudanese national living in displacement in South Sudan, said he had expected violence since leaving Islam to follow Christ. The attack highlights the persistent danger facing Christian converts from Muslim backgrounds in East African refugee settings, where camp governance structures often lack the capacity to protect religious minorities from targeted violence.
“Becoming a Christian from a Muslim background puts me and many others at risk, but where God has delivered me is worth the risk,” Haron said. “From a flesh standpoint, there is fear, but when I remember the promises of God in Jesus Christ, I become bold and strong. But those threats have never made me change my mind to be a Christian.”
Despite the assault, Haron said he remains committed to his faith and to evangelism within the camp. “I ask that you always mention us in your prayers so that we remain strong in faith and do his will,” he said. “We are optimistic that our Muslim families will be saved one day by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until then, we will be diligent so that we cannot be attacked and persecuted while preaching the gospel.”
ICC has called for prayer and support for displaced Christians in South Sudan. The group has not indicated whether camp authorities at Gorom have opened an investigation into the attack.