Uganda: parishioners killed; priest injured in ambush

Two church workers were killed and a parish priest was injured in an car ambush carried out by the Lords Resistance Army in northern Uganda yesterday morning. Father Peter Olum, parish priest at Poranga, was driving. The passengers were a catechist and his wife and children and a local government worker. Father Olum was injured but the government worker and the wife of the catechist were killed, Fides News Service report. Father Olum was taken for treatment to St. Mary's Hospital Lachor, in Gulu, about 70 km away. Just last week the Ugandan government extended a cease-fire agreement in part of northern Uganda to facilitate negotiations with the LRA. Fr Olum said: "Some rebel factions are obviously not interested in peace. Since negotiations started and the cease fire was extended, there was a new atmosphere of hope and confidence. The roads were safe. Local bus services were working again. Now this episode throws us back into fear and uncertainty. Everyone wants peace, people have suffered too much. Yesterday we distributed Christmas food parcels for 500 children who lost their parents because of war or AIDS and for these 500 little ones we are hoping for a Christmas of peace." Source: Fides/ICN