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

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

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Saturday, July 27, 2024
Last Saturday, 20 July, our three confreres of the community of El Obeid have left the mission in order to reach Kosti. This decision has been taken by the provincial superior, in light of the recent developments of the war, particularly the fall of Fula (West Kordofan), as well as Sennar an Sinja. As a matter of fact, the area of conflict between the Rapis Support Forces and the regular army is expanding rather than shrinking, with serious consequences on security and mobility.

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.

Below we publish a letter from the El Obeid community:

Those who sow in tears will reap in joy...

Mission of Kosti Sudan
25 July 2024

It was the end of June. We were fully immersed in pastoral activities. We planned the 1st communions and confirmations with the Bishop in the respective centers: Tayba on Sunday the 7 of July and S. Daniel Comboni Hay Salam on Sunday the 14 of July. The community of El Obeid were engaged in catechesis in the center of Tayba and gave support for ministry in the Parish together with the other diocesan priests.

The situation in El Obeid didn’t changed from months ago. Not electricity, not water, continuous fluctuation of market prices, people who are struggling to survive.

But in Darfur the Rfs (Rapid Support Forces) had intensified the fighting in El Fasher, the city of El Fula passed under their control and the communications way to: Nuba Moutains, Kosti, Kadogli, El Nahud are controlled by the Rfs. After taking Wad Medani, the RSF are trying to control the communications way to South Sudan. In recent days they had started to taking over cities connected from Wad Medani to Kosti: Sennar and Sinja.

Fr. Diego Dalle Carbonare, provincial superior, was constantly in dialogue with us to see if a possible leaving from El Obeid was possible given the process of degeneration of the situation. Assumed that the Rfs were progressively closing the communications routes and having in mind the good of our community and a possible return to El Obeid, Fr. Diego, after consulting the provincial council and the general administration, on the 30 of June 2024 gave us the order to move from El Obeid to Kosti as soon as possible. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the Missionaries of Charity resolved to do likewise.

Immediately on 1st  July we met together with the Bishop and the others priests and religious, to see how to plan the departure, the Parish’s hand over and to complete important pastorals events that had been previously planned and that involved the Parish as a whole. We decided to manage the trip for July 18, then due the rains and logistics we left on Saturday 20 July at 7 am from the Cathedral square, the Bishop Yunnan was present together with the others priests.

For reason of prudence and to avoid Rfs controls, we chosen the desert road from El Obeid to Doem. Doem is located at 120 km north from Kosti. The journey through the agricultural areas and the local villages was good. We arrived in Doem in the evening, because a car started having engine problems after crossing a huge puddle full of water. We stayed in Doem until Monday and we left Monday late in the morning after repairing the engine. The journey from Deom to Kosti had no problems but continues checks point by local authorities. We have seen a nation without a government authority. The same military commanders do not trust the information received from their colleagues. We reached Kosti on Monday the 22 of July in the afternoon. After the administrative formalities of documents control we arrived in our Comboni community.

We left El Obeid to come back again when the situation allowed us. El Obeid is now under the responsibility of local clergy: the Bishop Yunnan, the Vicar General: Fr. Abd Allah Husein, Fr. Charles Anikia and the Deacon Karlo Luka. We are sure that this difficult and painful decision, will help the Church of El Obeid to grow up in set up a new way to announce the Gospel.

In the Gospel of Mark Jesus sends his disciples to announce the Gospel only with a stick, a garment and sandals because the strength of the Gospel is the Cross of the Risen Lord. We believe that the mission belongs to God and He will carry out his plan of salvation. We are humbles servants of God’s Kingdom. Our joy is that we have been collaborators so that the seed bears fruit according to the Plans of God.

El Obeid Community