Friday, January 20, 2012

Two priests kidnapped in Sudan

Aid to the Church in Need reports that two priests, Father Joseph Wakwey and Father Sylvester Mogga, in Sudan were kidnapped on January 20, 2012 from the rectory of St. Josephine Bakhita parish in Rabak, which is south of Khartoum.
His Excellency the Most Reverend Daniel Adwok Kur, Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum, reports Aid to the Church in Need,
criticized the Government of Sudan for appearing to brush off the kidnappings and saying that the abductors are “foreigners” who cannot be controlled.  
The bishop added, “Innocent people are not there to be brutalized and the authorities must be called to account for what is going on.”
The Agenzia Fides reported the kidnappers said the two priests would be released on January 17th, but as of the 18th they had not been freed, which also reports that
the kidnappers belong to a Shiluk militia, which attacked the parish, because according to them, an officer of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was hiding, SPLA is the movement that fought for the independence of South Sudan and is currently in power in the new State.
According to the Vatican Insider, Bishop Adwok also condemned the increase of kidnappings in the region.
A meeting was to have been held yesterday afternoon to negotiate the release of the two priests, who are still alive and are being held in the border region between North and South Sudan.

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