A South Sudanese rebel militia supported by the Islamic government in Khartoum has kidnapped two pastors in Rabak, according to Christian sources. On January 15 at 10 pm, a large truck broke through the gates of a church compound in Rabak, 260 km south of Khartoum. The assailants broke through the door of the rectory and abducted the two pastors, Pastor Joseph Makwey and Pastor Sylvester Mogga, with guns drawn.
On January 19, the abductors forced the priests to call their bishop and demand a ransom of 500,000 Sudanese pounds, 250,000 for each of them. This is equivalent to a total of 185,530 US dollars. Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok told Compass News that there had been no direct contact between the bishop and the kidnappers, but that the priests had managed to express that they were being treated badly. "We are worried about the two priests," he said. "They are not treating them well."
There have been no further attempts by the kidnappers to contact the church leadership, says Adwok. Neither Makwey, who is in his 40s, nor Mogga, who is in his 30s, support the South Sudanese military troops who are in territorial conflict with Sudan over border areas, he added. The kidnappers also raided the priests' residence and stole two cars, two laptops and a safe. The incident has caused panic and terror among Christians in Rabak, with church leaders saying they fear for their lives now that they have been targeted by the Islamic government and its allied militias.
(source: Compass Direct News)