El Obeid, 25 May, 2023 / 9:20 pm (ACI Africa).
A Catholic Missionary Priest ministering in violence-stricken Khartoum has lamented restricted movement in the Sudanese capital city, and difficulty in establishing communication with others amid continued violence in the Northeastern African nation since April 15.
In a Wednesday, May 24 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Jacob Thelekkadan, a member of the Religious Institute of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), said fighting has continued despite the latest seven-day Agreement on Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements between representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. brokered, effective May 22.
“We are currently surrounded by the RSF soldiers who are fighting the army,” Fr. Thelekkadan said, and added, “We cannot move out of our houses and to know what is happening is very difficult.”
“Our mobile and internet networks are very bad and communication is very difficult for us; we have to go to one corner of the house to get connected because of the gunshots,” the Indian-born SDB member who serves as the Director of St. Joseph Vocational Training Centre (VCT) situated in Khartoum said during the May 24 interview.
Fr. Thelekkadan added, “We continue to pray for God’s intervention to bring peace to Sudan.”