Sudan: Two Christian pastors remain in hands of tribal militia

Kidnappers belonging to the Shiluk militia have not yet released two priests they had abducted on January 15. According to sources in Sudan, the Shiluk insurgents seized Fr. Joseph Makwey (45) and Fr. Sylvester Mogga (35) on the evening of January 15 at their parish in Rabak, a town about 45 miles south of Khartoum. The abductors had since promised to release the pair, but have not yet done so as concern increases on the part of local Christians.

Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok Kur of Khartoum told Aid to the Church in Need, "neighbors said they saw a truck full of people break through the parish gate". It is believed that the Shiluk militia attacked the church, believing that an officer of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was in hiding there. The SPLA is the movement that fought for the independence of South Sudan and is currently in power in the new state of South Sudan.

The Muslim-dominated government in Khartoum accuses the SPLA of South Sudan of supporting guerrilla movements in the southern part of Northern Sudan. The SPLA is also formed in large part by Dinka, an ethnic group that has repeatedly been in conflict with the Shiluk. "From the contacts received, it appears that the kidnapping of the two priests has a criminal motivation and not political" conclude local sources.