Priest killed in Sudan after theft of medicines from church

A priest who remained with his parish in Sudan despite growing violence was killed after the theft of vital medicines intended for local people.

Fr Youhana Alamin, parish priest of St Vincent’s Parish in Kauda, was fatally shot on Friday, June 19, in the Nuba Mountains, along with one watchman. Another watchman survived the attack.

Sources from the Diocese of El Obeid told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the priest was planning to evacuate after armed men entered the church premises on June 18 and demanded access to the medical store to take supplies.

They returned the next morning and gunned down the priest and his two watchmen.

The source said: “On Thursday, June 18, a group of military faction came to the church compound premises and demanded access to the medical store to take medical supplies.

“Given the current situation, the storekeeper had no choice but to cooperate with them, handing over the key, and they took medical supplies and whatever their hands grasped, as much as they could take.”

He said Fr Alamin alerted clergy about the robbery and was preparing to evacuate, but never got the chance.

Clergy believe the militants thought the theft had been reported and that the killing was a retaliatory attack.

The diocesan source added: “Unfortunately, on Friday, the group military faction returned to the church compound and sought the room of the Father, who was with his two watchmen…

“They were shown the room of Fr Youhana Alamin. They then opened his room and shot him dead with his two watchmen.

“However, one watchman survived and is in hospital. He reported the incident.”

Kauda is the Nuba Mountains base of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), a militant organisation.

In recent months, the deteriorating security situation, together with armed and tribal conflicts, saw some religious personnel evacuate from the region.

But Fr Alamin chose to remain with his community, becoming one of the few priests still ministering in the highly volatile area.

Sources said his role extended beyond spiritual care, with the Church acting as a vital source of healthcare and support for the most vulnerable.

The El Obeid source added: “We await the investigation of the local authority with hope it brings the perpetrators to book.

“We entrust Fr Youhana and the other victims to the mercy of God and pray for comfort and strength for their families, parishioners and all those affected by this tragedy.”

ACN received a message of condolence from St Peter’s, Babnusa, where the priest served from 1997 to 2021.

Arriving as a seminarian, later becoming a deacon and then parish priest, he was remembered by the parish as a devoted pastor.

The parish said: “He was a friend of the youth and the children, and he loved his work until the very end.”