Catholic priest killed in Sudan amid paramilitary siege

Sudan, June 20, 2025: Luka Jomo, a Catholic parish priest serving in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, Sudan, was killed on 13 June during a paramilitary assault on the besieged city. He is believed to be the first Catholic priest to lose his life in the ongoing Sudanese conflict, which has gripped the region since April 2023.

“It is with great sorrow that I write to inform you of Fr. Luka Jomo’s passing to the Father’s House this morning at 3 a.m. in El Fasher,” wrote Father Abdallah Hussein, Vicar General of the Diocese of El Obeid. “The cause of death was a stray bullet that took his life and that of two other young people. Let us unite in prayer and ask God the Father that their souls may rest in peace.”

Local sources informed the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the city of El Fasher has been encircled for nearly two years by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a notorious paramilitary militia. Despite repeated appeals from the United Nations for humanitarian access, the RSF has refused to allow aid into the city. “Bombings and militia attacks have intensified in recent months,” sources told ACN, adding that Fr. Jomo was most likely not targeted deliberately.

Attempts to evacuate the priest began in January, but the siege made escape impossible. “We had been trying to help him leave, but the city was completely surrounded,” a local contact explained.

In a statement, Regina Lynch, Executive President of ACN International, expressed solidarity with the people of Sudan. “Let us pray for the eternal rest of Fr. Luka and the two others who died in El Fasher, and for their families and community. But also for all Christians in Sudan and all the people of this country, victims of war and violence, so that they may soon attain the longed-for peace.”

Amid the conflict, the Catholic Church continues to serve its people despite scarce resources. In January, Bishop Yunan Tombe of El-Obeid told ACN that, while all Muslim schools in the area had closed following the tragic shelling of a school that killed 35 girls, the Church remains operational. It runs six kindergartens, six primary schools, and a secondary school — the only educational institutions still open in the region.

The city of El-Obeid, with a pre-war population of around 358,000, is under Sudanese military control but remains cut off by the RSF. Although many Christians have fled, approximately 300 families — mostly elderly, women, and children — remain, alongside displaced persons from Khartoum.

ACN is providing emergency support to about 500 families in the Archdiocese of Khartoum, including food, medical aid, mosquito nets, blankets, tarpaulins, and transportation for those attempting to reach South Sudan. The Church in Sudan, now burdened with increasing need and dwindling resources, continues to be a vital refuge for many caught in the crossfire.

Source: Zenit