Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali, Catholic Bishop of El-Obeid in Sudan, was travelling to El-Obeid, accompanied by a deacon, when they encountered soldiers of the Sudanese Armed Forces.

“I just arrived in El Obeid together with Deacon Joseph. This time, I was badly treated. From the side of the army, some little cash in USD was taken on pretext that I was carrying the forbidden hard currency,”

said Bishop Tombe in writing to Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala. However, with the harassment from the military side, the adversities of Bishop Tombe and his travel companion just started. After the Sudanese Armed Forces, the bishop ran into the militants of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organization that plays a key role in the ongoing conflict. Bishop Tombe described their hardships with the RSF as follows:

“On the side of Rapid Forces, I was given countless heavy blows on the neck, forehead, on my face and two sides of my head.”

He added that together with the deacon, they narrowly missed martyrdom at the hands of RSF militants. Both of them suffered such injuries that their lives were hanging by a thread. The bishop’s jaw was injured to such an extent that he was not able to eat.

Bishop Tombe thanked the prayers and support of many who prayed for his recovery. He also appealed for prayers for the country in this dire situation and asked the South Sudanese to make those who fled from the war feel welcomed there.

Source: ACI Africa