Sudan’s Christians suffered decades of persecution under the regime of Islamist general Omar al-Bashir. Now they hope his downfall will give the religious freedom they have long prayed for. Deep within the maze of dusty alleys that honeycomb Omdurman, Khartoum’s sprawling twin city, Yousef Zamgila’s church is not visible from the street.

It is hidden in the courtyard of a friend’s home and consists of a few iron benches, a pulpit and crosses hastily painted on pillars holding a corrugated roof. “The previous centre got destroyed because we didn’t have the right papers. They always refused… So we use the land of our neighbours,” says the Lutheran reverend.

Punch - Sudan’s persecuted Christians eye long-sought freedom