Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Juba (Agenzia Fides) – Soldiers of the South Sudanese army attacked a church, killing a parishioner and taking his body. This happened in Our Lady of Assumption Parish, in Loa, in Magwi County, in the State of Eastern Equatoria, when soldiers from a unit of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) stationed in the area attacked the church on March 26 at around 5 p.m.According to a statement from the Diocese of Torit dated April 3 and sent to Fides, “the soldiers opened fire without warning, killing one civilian and wounding another.” The bullets hit the walls and windows of the rectory.”To cover up their crime,” the statement continued, “the soldiers took the body and hid it, covering the bloodstains on the floor with earth to eliminate any evidence. To date, the whereabouts of the body remain unknown.” “During the intrusion, church staff, aid workers, and local residents were intimidated, threatened, and interrogated,” the diocese reports.Monsignor Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi Napeta, Bishop of Torit, condemns the intrusion into church property and the “grave violation of sanctity and neutrality” as well as “the safety and rights of church staff” and calls for “an immediate and impartial investigation into the incident, the identification and prosecution of the military personnel involved, as well as concrete assurances and clear protocols from the SSPDF to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future.” The bishop also requests “the release of the body to the family so that a burial can take place” and “the deployment of security personnel by the State of Eastern Equatoria to protect the community of Loa, as well as a public apology to the Diocese of Torit for the attack.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/4/2025)
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