KHARTOUM, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Tuesday denied reports by Western groups claiming violations by the Sudanese government of religious freedoms in the country.
The Sudanese government recently issued a decision ordering schools affiliating to church institutions, including private schools such as Comboni, to observe Saturday as off day and resume their activities on Sunday, which prompted criticism by church societies.
According to statistics by non-governmental research centers, the number of Christians in Sudan following the separation of South Sudan is estimated at 1.4 million, about 1.5 of Sudan's population.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on Tuesday said Western reports on violations of religious freedoms in Sudan are "confused" and depend on specific cases that do not represent the normal situation in the country.
"I think that many stories in the West are confused. They pick up particular cases and they suggest that they are what is normal," said Welby at a press conference in Khartoum at the conclusion of his visit to Sudan Tuesday.
Welby further said Sudan has a clear religious freedom policy, saying "the Sudanese government clearly has a policy of religious freedom."
