AFRICA/CONGO - Savage murder of Catholic priest from Manono diocese who tried to convince rebel leader to disarm

Manono (Fides Service) - A Catholic priest Fr Francois Djikulo has been savagely murdered by rebels in Democratic Congo. The priest, from the diocese of Manono, had gone, without asking permission or even informing his Bishop Vincent de Paul Kwanga, to try to convince rebel leader Kyungu Kyungu, alias Gedeon, to disarm and doing so put an end to the vexation and terrible suffering of the people of Manono, Mitwaba, Pweto and Dubie.
Bishop Kwanga said “he had been missing since August and every day we hoped to see him return” unfortunately we have been told that Fr Djikulo was “savagely murdered: first he and his companion Kayimbi were mutilated and then burned alive in Mutendele, district of Pweto, some 75 km from the parish of Dubie diocese of Kilwa Kasenga”. The Bishop asked everyone to pray for the repose of the souls of both men. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 21/11/2005 - Righe 10, parole 141)