Gulu (Fides Service)- “Blood at Christmas again this year” a missionary in northern Uganda told Fides from northern Uganda where a parish priest was injured during a car ambush this morning 20 December and two other persons were killed. Rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army ambushed a van driven by Father Peter Olum, parish priest at Poranga. The other occupants were a catechist and his wife and children and a local government worker. “Father Olum was injured but the government worker and the wife of the catechist were killed” the source told Fides. Father Olum was taken for treatment to St. Mary’s Hospital Lachor, in Gulu, about 70 km away. “This serious episode has shocked everyone just as there were signs of hope that peace may be reached” the missionary told Fides. Last week the Ugandan government extended a cease-fire agreement in part of northern Uganda to facilitate negotiations with the LRA.
“Some rebel factions are obviously not interested in peace” the missionary said. “Since negotiations started and the cease fire was extended, there was a new atmosphere of hope and confidence. The roads were safe. Local bus services were working again. Now this episode throws us back into fear and uncertainty ”.
“Everyone wants peace, people have suffered too much. Yesterday we distributed Christmas food parcels for 500 children who lost their parents because of war or AIDS and for these 500 little ones we wish for a Christmas of peace” the missionary told Fides. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/12/2004 righe 27 parole 335)