Ethnic tensions in Yirol East forced the catholic youth of Mapuordit and Yirol to postpone a pilgrimage to the site of the first catholic mission in the region.
Daniel Comboni and another four missionaries arrived at Chambe, in the White Nile, on February of 1858 and established there the Mission of Holy Cross. The place was closed down less than one year later because one missionary died and others got seriously sick.Fr. Titus Henry Makokha, assistant parish priest at Yirol Catholic Mission, told SCR News over the phone that the bishop of Rumbek planned to lead a youth pilgrimage to Chambe yesterday.
Fr. Makokha said the pilgrimage was part of the 101 Days of Prayer for a Peaceful in South Sudan and should have been attended by some 50 youths from the missions of Yirol and Mapuordit.
He added that the project was postponed due to insecurity in the region.
Fr. Makokha said the roads in Yirol East County were not safe and returnees were attacked and robbed recently while coming home.
Another Church source told SCR News that two weeks ago there was heavy inter-ethnic fighting in the area and some 60 people died in the conflict.