SUDAN: Religious, Clergy Flee from Khartoum, as Fight in Sudan Intensifies
Exodus in Khartoum. Credit Courtesy photo
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As the violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) worsens, many Religious and clergy from various congregations are fleeing from the capital city where the war is rampant for security and protection from danger.
In a message shared by the Archbishop of Khartoum Archbishop Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria concerning the situation of the ongoing fight that erupted on Saturday, April 15, “many people including priests and Nuns have fled out of the most contested areas.”
“Some Comboni Missionaries – both the family of the Fathers and of the Sisters from CCK and Khartoum N. Went to Omdurman (Massalma). According to them their superiors asked each to decide whether to stay or leave Sudan,” the Archbishop revealed.
According to the message shared Sunday, April 30, three of the priests had already opted to leave Sudan.
For the Comboni Missionary Sisters, the Sudanese Prelate said, “their Mother General asked them to leave and all of them left except Sr Froweni in Omdurma.”
The Archbishop further revealed that the Canossian Daughters of Charity (Canossian Sisters) flee to El Obeid in the South-Central Sudan while two of them “left to go back to their country India.”
Members of the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa Sisters) also left Khartoum and one a Korean, “was evacuated by her Embassy,” while Missionaries of Africa from Haj Yousif and Sisters of Charity at Khartoum N. also left, the Sacred Heart Egyptians from Amarat went to join their Sisters in Sennar.
Consequently, “the Carmelites at Kalakala were meant to leave for El Obeid, Sisters of the Sacred Heart Sudanese from Oshra left to Juba but the community of Omdurman remained,” the Archbishop highlighted adding that some Diocesan priest also left Khartoum to other States and His Eminence Gabriel Zubeir Cardinal Wako left with the Nuncio to Gibuti and was meant to proceed to Juba.
Even though there is Mass exodus of the clergy and most Religious congregations Archbishop Didi said, the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) both families were still in their place, the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.) , and members of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) are still holding on too.
The Archbishop noted that he got some wind that on “Tuesday and Wednesday thieves enter in the Curia and took every penny we had,” and all Supper markets were looted.
He therefore called for prayers for the people of Sudan especially for the end of war and for the country to have peace and stabilize.
So far hundreds of citizens have lost their lives while thousands injures as others flee the country to seek refuge in other countries.
