South Sudan: Religious Sisters Ambushed, Robbed; Children Abducted

On Sunday, 30 August, two Carmelite religious sisters, Sr Helen and Sr Ansa, were ambushed and robbed, with Sr Helen sustaining injuries and two children reportedly abducted, while travelling from Torit to Juba in South Sudan. The incident occurred when their vehicle was attacked along the road after they had attended morning Mass. During the ambush, one of the assailants struck Sr. Helen on the head with a gun barrel, causing injury, and all passengers were robbed of their belongings. Preliminary reports also indicated the abduction of two children. Following the attack, Bishop Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi Napeta arranged immediate assistance from Juba, and Sr. Helen is now en route to the capital for further medical attention. This event tragically echoes a similar incident on the same road on 16 August 2021, when two other religious sisters, Sr Mary Daniel Abut and Sr Regina Roba, were killed while returning to Juba.