Father Léon Dougnon , the parish priest of Ségué, Thimothé Somboro, the village chief of Ségué, Pascal Somboro, deputy mayor, and two other members of the community, Emmanuel Somboro and Boutié Tolofoudié, left their parish in the Diocese of Mopti to attend the funeral of Father Oscar Tehrea. The group never showed up to the funeral.

According to the National Catholic Register, Malian priest Father Alexis Dembélé said yesterday that “the group disappeared on Monday while traveling from Ségué, in the center of the country, to the funeral of Fr. Oscar Thera in the town of San.”

He continued: “We have confirmation that it was a kidnapping by armed men. It is a great concern for the Catholic community in Mali.”

While no group has come forward to claim the attack, French News Station RFI has noted that the region where the group went missing is “A stronghold of the Katiba Macina jihadist group.”

Source: persecution.org