Nairobi, Kenya
Religious leaders in South Sudan have welcomed the sentencing of four men, including a clergyman, for the attempted murder of the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Rumbek. The leaders said the sentencing would likely bring to an end a series of murders targeting church leaders across the country.
The High Court in Juba, the country’s capital city, on 25th April convicted Fr John Mathiang Machol, Moris Sebit Ater, Laat Makur Agok and Samuel Makir after being found guilty of scheming and coordinating to kill the then bishop-elect, Fr Christian Carlassare, on 26th April, 2021.
Medical professionals prepare Rev Christian Carlassare, on stretcher, to be airlifted to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, through the services of the African Medical and Research Foundation for specialised treatment after the priest was shot on 26th April, 2021, in South Sudan. PICTRURE: Courtesy of ACI Africa .
The Italian-born member of the Comboni Missionaries was shot in both legs at his residence in Rumbek in central South Sudan, barely a month after the Vatican had appointed him to lead the diocese. The attack prompted the church to reschedule Carlassare’s consecration as the bishop, which later took place.
Justice Alexander Sebur Subek sentenced Machol to a seven-year jail term while Makir was sentenced to five years in prison. Agok and Ater were sentenced to four years.
“As church leaders, we are happy about the sentencing,” said Pastor Deng Majok of the Yei Pentecostal Church. “For the first time, the church has gotten justice through the courts. For decades, some people in this country have planned and murdered church leaders and Christians for doing their work and spreading the gospel to all corners of the country. They have never faced any justice for their murderous acts. This act by the courts should be a lesson to everyone planning murder against the people of God.”
On his part, Bishop Carlassare thanked the government of South Sudan for ensuring justice was served while noting that the sentencing would help end such acts in the future and bring peace to the country.
“On behalf of the Diocese of Rumbek, we acknowledge the verdict,” Bishop Carlassare said in a statement on 25th April. “We appreciate the commitment and dedication of the government and the court. Though sad it has happened and the resulting suffering, we pray that truth may bring conversion and healing.”
The central African nation of more than 11 million people has been troubled with civil war since December, 2013. The conflict began when South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, a member of the Dinka tribe, accused then his Vice President Riek Machar, a Nuer, of trying to seize power. Violence between government troops and rebels has spread throughout the nation and stoked ethnic divisions. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced.
Religious leaders are among those who have been murdered in cold blood. The world’s newest nation has experienced hundreds of deaths of church leaders, including the recent murder of two nuns along a highway in eastern South Sudan who are trying to bring peace to the country through reconciliation and aiding a humanitarian crisis of an estimated 8.3 million people, according to the United Nations.
Pastor Majok told Sight that attacks have often targeted Christians who are about 60 per cent of the population. About 33 per cent of the population practices indigenous religions while six per cent are Muslim, according to the US Department of State.
“These are terrorists who want to bring our country down. Unfortunately, even church leaders are being involved to target others,” he said, referring to Fr Machol, who was accused of planning the murder of Bishop Carlassare. “We want to urge the government to speed up investigations involving other attacks on church leaders so that those involved can be brought to book soon.”
“The recent court ruling should scare some of the people who are murdering the servants of God because of their commitment to spreading the Gospel.”
