Freedom of religion in Sudan
The 2019 transitional constitution of Sudan guarantees freedom of religion and omits reference to sharia as a source of law, unlike the 2005 constitution of Sudan's deposed president Omar al-Bashir whose government had criminalized apostasy and blasphemy against Islam. Bashir's government had also targeted Shia Muslims and those engaging in proselytization to faiths other than Islam. Christians had also faced restrictions in matters of religious freedom. Apostasy from Islam was decriminalized in July 2020, whereas previously those found guilty of apostasy could face the death penalty. In September 2020, the interim government established the separation of religion and state. Religious demographics The country has an area of and a population of 40.2 million. Demographic data are estimates. Two-thirds to three-fourths of the population live in the 15 states of the north, and are generally from Arabic speakers. The remaining one-fourth to one-third of the population live in the south, and are primarily Nilotic peoples. An estimated 70 percent of the population is Muslim. Islam predominates in the north. Almost all Muslims are Sunni, although there are significant distinctions between followers of different Sunni traditions (particularly among Sufi brotherhoods). An estimated 25 percent of the population holds traditional indigenous beliefs (animism),