CAIRO: Fears in the minority Christian community in Sudan have intensified after the kidnapping of two Catholic priests last Sunday. Father Joseph Makwey and Father Sylvester Mogga were kidnapped on January 15 by a militia who broke into their compound in Rabak, south of Khartoum. The men scoured the compound, kidnapping the men and stealing computers and other valuables. The militia reportedly targeted the church because it was rumored that the priests had granted refuge to a former member of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army, who fought successfully for the independence of South Sudan. The identity of the armed men is now yet known, however police believe that they are militiamen from South Sudan. Bishop Daniel Adwok of the Khartoum archdiocese said that the government had failed to protect citizens from the violence, and explained that the kidnapping does not come as an isolated incident, but part of a larger problem within the Christian community in Sudan. “I do not believe this was a random crime. This kidnapping seems deliberate. They must have known that the two individuals kidnapped were priests,” said the Bishop. Christians in Sudan have reported an increase in violence and intimidation, as hostilities have heightened since the secession of South Sudan. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/V1WKS Tags: Bishop Daniel Adwok, Sudanese Christians Section: Latest News, Religion, Sudan
