Sudan: priest survives attack by bandits

Source: CISA

A Kenyan Catholic missionary working in Sudan is recovering after being ambushed and robbed by three armed men who threatened to kill him.

Fr Titus Makokha, 33, a Comboni Missionary, told Catholic Radio Bakhita that he was ambushed by three armed young men from the Dinka Agaar community outside Rumbek last Tuesday.

The gangsters stopped F. Mokokha at gunpoint and took him into the bush nearby, stripping him off of all his belongings.

The incident took place on the Rumbek-Yirol Road, in Lakes State, while he was travelling by motorbike.

Fr Makokha had arrived in Rumbek on a flight from Juba and was riding along the all-weather road to his mission in Yirol, some 100 miles away, a journey of about four hours.

The missionary said he was made to kneel down for execution. However, the robbers went back to the road and escaped with the motorbike and the goods they had stolen, leaving him on foot in the middle of nowhere.

Fr Mokokha said that a young girl found him and alerted the authorities. After a four-hour search in the village, the authorities managed to recover the motorbike but the helmet, money, the mobile phone and other belongings could not be traced.

That was the second time Fr Makokha had a close encounter with bandits. He said he remained calm during the horrific ordeal.

Fr Makokha was ordained in 2007 and has served for one year in the mission of Yirol, Rumbek Diocese.