Sudan, Comboni missionaries leave El Obeid mission to move to Kosti

Along with our confreres, also the last religious who were in El Obeid have left too: four Missionaries of Charity and two Sisters of the Sacred Heart. In the town there are now only the bishop and three diocesan priests, with the few Christians who have not yet left.

We accompany with our prayers our confreres in Sudan and ask from the Lord the grace of the end of all fighting.

A letter of the El Obeid Community

“Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap” (Ps 126:5)

At the end of June, we were all immersed in pastoral activities in El Obeid. We had also planned first communions and confirmations in two chapels, to be administered by the bishop, Mgr Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali: in Yaybat, on 7^th July, and in the church of St Daniel Comboni, in the Hai Salaam locality, on 14^th July. Meanwhile, the Comboni community in El Obeid was busy with catechism classes in Tayba and helping diocesan priests in ministry in the Cathedral parish.

The situation in El Obeid had not changed from the previous months: electricity was still out; there was a shortage of water; prices in the local market showed no sign of decreasing but continued to skyrocket; and people were struggling to survive.

Things, however, had changed elsewhere. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had intensified their military operations near the town of El Fasher (600 km west of El Obeid) and occupied the town of El Fula (300 km south-west), thus coming to control all communication routes not only to the Nuba Mountains, but also to Kosti, Kadugli and El Nahud, three locations already under their control.

After taking control of Wad Medani (620 km east of El Obeid and 200 km south of Khartoum), the RSF also sought to control the communication routes with South Sudan. In recent days they have pushed as far as Sennar (100 km south of Wad Medani) and Sinja (66 km further south).

The question arose: how long would it take the RSF to attack and take El Obeid?

The provincial superior, Father Diego Dalle Carbonare, who was keeping an eye on the situation through constant contact with us, seeing the degeneration of the situation, began to consider our possible departure from El Obeid.

Based on the assumption that the Rfs were gradually closing every possible avenue of communication and concerned about our safety, after consulting the Provincial Council and the General Council, on 30^th June he gave us the order to move from El Obeid to Kosti as soon as possible. Those in charge of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the Missionaries of Charity also decided to do the same.

On 1^st July, we met with the bishop and the other priests and religious present in El Obeid, to plan the handover of the parish, and to study together how to complete some previously planned important pastoral events.

We decided that the departure would take place on 18^th July. However, due to the rain, we were forced to wait until Saturday 20^th July. At 7 a.m. we all met in the square in front of the Cathedral to say ‘see you soon’ to Bishop Yunan and the priests.

To avoid Rfs controls, we chose to take the desert road, from El Obeid to Doem (Ed Dueim), a town 130 km north of Kosti. The journey was good, until a few kilometres from Doem, when, already close to the Nile, we encountered an interminable series of marshes that put a strain on the car’s engine. It was impossible to continue the journey. We were forced to wait until late Monday morning, 22^nd Luly, when the mechanic managed to patch up the engine.

We did not encounter any problems in reaching Kosti. We were stopped several times at checkpoints, but we were always allowed us to proceed with the journey. The local authorities continue to control the territory in their own way, but it is clear that the nation is without real authority. The military commanders themselves do not trust the information they receive from their colleagues.

On Monday afternoon, we reached Kosti, and after undergoing an onerous series of administrative formalities, with repeated document checks, we were able to embrace the confreres of the local Comboni community.

We left El Obeid with the decision to return as soon as the situation allows us to do so. Only the local clergy remained in El Obeid: Bishop Yunnan, Fr Abd Allah Husein (Vicar General), Fr Charles Anikia and Deacon Karlo Luka. We are confident that the difficult and painful decision taken will help the Church of El Obeid to grow and set up a new way of proclaiming the Gospel.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus sends his disciples to proclaim the Good News carrying only a staff, a tunic and a pair of sandals on their feet (cf. Mk 6:8-9). The message behind this order is obvious: the true power of the Gospel is the Cross of the Risen Lord.

We believe that the mission belongs to God and that he – and he alone – will carry out his plan of salvation. We are merely humble servants of the Kingdom of God. Our joy comes from knowing that we are collaborating to make the seed of the Word bear fruit.

Kosti, 25^th July 2024

The Comboni community of El Obeid
host of the Kosti mission – Sudan