EGN NEWS DESK
The current mysterious disappearance of the Rev. Luke Yugue and his driver, Michael Gbeko, in South Sudan has left many Christians within the central African nation apprehensive about their security and afraid to hold out ministry work throughout the troubled nation.
The two are believed to have been kidnapped by ethnic militia forces on April 27 whereas touring by highway on a motorcycle from the Nagero Catholic parish to Tombura county within the state of Western Equatoria, bordering the Central African Republic and Congo.
Religious leaders, particularly these from the Catholic Church, have been urging congregants throughout the nation of greater than 12.7 million folks, about 61% of them Christian, to wish for the security of the lacking priest and his driver. The leaders have additionally been desperately interesting to the federal government to help within the launch of the 2, who’re believed to be held hostage, and to declare a state of emergency within the area the place the kidnapping occurred.
The current mysterious disappearance of the Rev. Luke Yugue and his driver, Michael Gbeko, in South Sudan has left many Christians within the central African nation apprehensive about their security and afraid to hold out ministry work throughout the troubled nation.
The two are believed to have been kidnapped by ethnic militia forces on April 27 whereas touring by highway on a motorcycle from the Nagero Catholic parish to Tombura county within the state of Western Equatoria, bordering the Central African Republic and Congo.
Religious leaders, particularly these from the Catholic Church, have been urging congregants throughout the nation of greater than 12.7 million folks, about 61% of them Christian, to wish for the security of the lacking priest and his driver. The leaders have additionally been desperately interesting to the federal government to help within the launch of the 2, who’re believed to be held hostage, and to declare a state of emergency within the area the place the kidnapping occurred.
The nation descended into civil struggle in December 2013, when Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and 10 others of trying a coup. Even although the battle ended with a 2018 peace settlement that introduced Kiir and Machar collectively, the nation continues to see widespread combating and kidnappings, particularly in rural areas.
Between 2013 and 2018, experiences point out, practically 400,000 folks have been killed because of the civil struggle. The battle additionally left over 4 million South Sudanese displaced from their properties, with practically 2.3 million fleeing to neighboring nations, together with Uganda and Kenya.
Dozens of church leaders have been kidnapped or killed by authorities troopers or rebels within the decade of combating. The majority of them have been kidnapped or killed whereas finishing up pastoral duties the world over’s youngest nation.
Evangelist Mayol Kuot famous that the current disappearance of non secular leaders highlights the continued instability within the nation and disrupts their potential to supply non secular steerage, counseling, well being care, schooling and different help to the populace, in addition to look after orphans and kids.
“The current kidnapping of the priest is stunning to us. It reveals that the safety scenario within the nation isn’t bettering in any respect,” mentioned Kuot, who ministers in Malakal, a city in northeastern South Sudan. “We at the moment are afraid of going out in distant areas to evangelise the Word of God and serve susceptible individuals who need our assist as spiritual leaders.”
Kuot mentioned he has had mates who have been murdered or kidnapped by unknown gunmen in highway ambushes and church buildings whereas ministering. This causes different clergy within the nation to be “demoralized,” he mentioned, and unable to proceed working freely because of concern of assaults.
“You cannot successfully work in such an atmosphere when you’re uncertain if you’ll return dwelling protected after ministering to folks,” Kuot mentioned. “We want safety from the federal government to proceed ministering to the struggling folks of South Sudan who’ve been displaced from their properties because of struggle.”
The Rev. Thomas Agou Kuur mentioned dozens of his colleagues from the Episcopal Church have misplaced their lives because the civil struggle started within the nation. Kuur, who’s the assistant bishop of Bor Diocese, mentioned that the folks of South Sudan, particularly militia teams, do not respect church leaders and as a substitute kill them based mostly on ethnicity.
The Dinka and Nuer are the 2 largest ethnic teams in South Sudan, and so they have been combating one another for political and financial energy since even earlier than the civil struggle. The Dinka ethnic group typically helps Kiir, whereas the Nuer ethnic group backs Machar.
“When militias from Dinka get a priest from the Nuer tribe, they are going to simply kill him with out contemplating that he’s a priest serving everybody. It’s the identical scenario when militias from Nuer get a Dinka priest,” he mentioned.
“We ought to care and love one another as a result of all of us belong to God, and subsequently, we should always respect human life,” Kuur added.
Meanwhile, Kussala, the bishop of Tombura-Yambio, urged communities and political leaders to reconcile their variations and pursue peace, justice and reconciliation for the sake of the struggling folks of South Sudan.
“I need to enchantment for an finish to violence within the nation as a result of it is destroying our lives and livelihoods each day,” he mentioned, declaring tribalism and hatred as the principle enemy of South Sudanese. “As a church, we are going to proceed to stroll the trail of peace and to succeed in out to the susceptible who need our assist. We urge the federal government to guard the nation from violence and church leaders as they perform their ministries.”
© Religion News Service
