The Sudanese government has banned the construction of Christian churches. The Minister of Religious Affairs, Shalil Abdullah, announced that because of the exodus of Christians from the North following the secession of South Sudan, there was no need to permit the building of new churches as the current supply was adequate. The Catholic Bishop of Tambura-Tambio, Mgr.  Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, told the Fides News Agency: “although the constitution guarantees equal rights for all Sudanese, without distinction of religion, Christians are considered and treated as second-class citizens”. He added that “members of the clergy cannot obtain a passport and when they leave the Country they never know if they will ever come back. Many priests have been expelled and the Bishops are forced into silence because they cannot freely express their opinions.”