Agenzia Fides

Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides) - On August 20, Catholic Relief Services in Bujumbura organized the emergency evacuation of two nuns belonging to the Congregation Bene-Umukama. The nuns, in serious condition, were transported thanks to special flight organized by International SOS to a hospital in Germany.
"On the evening of August 10, an armed group attacked three cars that were heading towards Bubanza, including a car with a group of nuns of the Congregation Bene-Umukama and two priests of the Archdiocese of Gitega", sources of the local church say to Fides. Our sources thus reconstruct the attack: "On the evening of August 10 about 20 armed men blocked the traffic on the road to Bubanza. The gunmen first stopped a taxi where a soldier was travelling and who was killed immediately, then they stopped the van with the nuns and two priests, who were threatened they would be burned alive inside the vehicle. The occupants managed to get out of the vehicle, but the gunmen started shooting, hitting a priest and 4 nuns. Two of the nuns suffered very serious injuries, in particular one was hit in the face, losing an eye. The gunmen fled after burning the vehicles".
The priest and the two nuns whose conditions are less severe were admitted to Bubanza. Given the serious injuries of the two other religious women, they were immediately transported to Germany. Their conditions are improving. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 23/08/2011)