Regional tensions lead to the murder of a pastor in West Papua
Reverend Yeremia Zanambani, 67, of the Gospel Tabernacle Church of Indonesia (GKII), was found dead outside his residence in the village of Hitadipa in Intan Jaya district on the 19th of September.
The death of the pastor, who was a leader of the Moni indigenous group and ran a local high school, was confirmed by GKII church officials in Jakarta and came shortly after two soldiers were reportedly killed in a clash with insurgents in the area.
“Reverend Zanambani was shot dead on Saturday afternoon on his way to his pigpen. (…) We are deeply saddened by the loss of a religious leader who served the Moni community so well,” GKII said in a statement on the 20th of September.
The local military commander also confirmed Reverend Zanambani’s death, adding he had been killed by a separatist group.
Source: persecution.org
Image: dw.com
