When listening to the horror stories of what happened in the town of Malakal, it would be unthinkable to imagine someone who went through the ordeal going back there. Not so with the Priests from the Diocese of Malakal, as narrated by the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese Msgr. Roko Taban Mousa.
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| Msgr. Roko Taban (left) Apostolic Administrator of Malakal with Fr. Santino Mokoromomo, former Secretary General SCBC at AMECEA Secretariat in Nairobi |
Msgr. Roko who visited AMECEA Secretariat in Nairobi, together with the former Sudan Catholic Bishop Conference (SCBC) Secretary General, Rev Santino Mokoromomo on 22nd May, said that despite of all that is currently happening in South Sudan, there are two parishes that are still operating normally. These include Olfangak, which has three Comboni Missionaries and Ayot which has two Missionary Priests.
He said that some Priests who ran away from their parishes during the time of violence still find time to go back and join their people in their suffering and celebrate Mass for them despite the risks that are involved. “Just for an example during Holy Week, some Priests took courage to go back to celebrate Mass with their people; however, they couldn’t stay for long because Parishes were still the major targets for the rebels,” he said adding that “When they got back they gave us a report that there was nothing left in their parish houses; but the people were generous enough for that they provided them with food and accommodation. Still the priests said it was not safe to go back.”
He said that generally the Diocese is operating from Juba where they have a small liaison office, from where they coordinate some activities of the diocese in collaboration with some catechists who are in the villages with the people.
Msgr. Roko Taban Mousa, was full of pain and sorrow as he recounted what had happened to his diocese that led to the closure of the Cathedral and subsequent their escape for their dear lives to Juba. He could not hide his disappointment at the fact that the evil power struggle that has generated so much suffering to the ordinary people of South Sudan is yet to come to an end.
He said that they were putting into place the preparatory measure that would help them resume its normal operation of their Diocese-Malakal once peace is attained. He said one of such measures is that of sending the Priests for counseling and trauma healing course. “Already the Diocese has managed to send six Priests to Kenya for a three-month course on counseling, trauma healing and health care,” he said adding that “I hope to send more Priests and if possible all the priests in the diocese, (twenty eight (28) Priests) which include18 Diocesan and 10 Missionary Priests.”
Msgr. Roko is appealing passionately to AMECEA member countries, International partners and other people of Good will for support that will enable the Priests affected undergo counseling and trauma healing course in Nairobi, Kenya. The support would cover the travel expenses to Nairobi, accommodation and fees for the course.
When AMECEA Online News wanted to know exactly what happened, Msgr. Roko Taban again recounted the painful events that culminated to the deaths of so many people in Malakal which according to him is the largestdiocese geographically in South Sudan and also the most populatedof all.
“The war spread very fast because when you don’t have a proper national army, you can easily have defections from the national army to the rebels’ faction and this is what exactly happened in Jonglei, and Unity States,” said Msgr. Taban adding that ‘When there is heavy use of military machinery, you expect many civilians to die, whether targeted or not targeted, the bullets will never differentiate.”
He said that what was terrible about the conflict was the indiscriminative looting; “My house was looted while I was there watching and there was nothing I could do about it, they then asked me to move to the Cathedral and I had to oblige,” he said.
“When the army came and took over the town of Malakal from the rebels, we thought that that was the end of the anarchy that started since December but, that did not last long, the rebels came again and there was a terrible fight. Many people lost their lives; even in the hospital where some people had taken refuge, it was safe. The government army rescued again the town for the second time, but shortly afterwards the rebels took control of the town for the third time and that was the worst attack,” Msgr. Roko Taban recounted.
Msgr. Roko Taban said that during the third attack in Malakal town, the rebels had become more aggressive and they could not see any sense of humanity in anybody. There was killing and slaughtering of people everywhere and dead bodies lied everywhere on the streets in town; “I remember when I was going to the airport to come to Juba for the conference, I had to go and fly by the UNIMISS flight because that was the only means out of the town -Malakal. I had to use an ambulance to cross the town because you couldn’t go by ordinary car and risk being shot at,” he said.
“It was not an easy thing; it was a very painful scene that we had to experience as a Priest and administrator of Malakal,” he said adding that “Seeing people being butchered like animals; watching innocent people being tortured to death, seeing innocent children not spared and helpless women and the elderly begging for mercy yet nobody spares them is quite painful.”
He said that he thought that he could do something to protect the people but he knew that he was vulnerable on the hands of the rebels. “It was indeed an experience that nobody would want to recall,” he said.
Msgr. Roko Taban believes that reconciliation is possible because people of South Sudan do not want to go back that period of civil they experienced for 21 years. He pointed out that the greatest need for the people of South Sudan is national healing and reconciliation.
Source: AMECEA Social Communications