The Islamic government of North Sudan bombed a Catholic school as they were doing their typical arial bombings over the Nuba Mountains where many Christians live. According to one report:
“The diocese denounces continual indiscriminate aerial bombing which kills and maims and instils a culture of fear and death among the people” says Bishop Macram Max Gassis, Emeritus bishop of El Obeid, in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan, reporting the bombing of a Catholic school in rebel held territory in Heiban County, South Kordofan state.
In a report sent to Fides, Bishop Gassis writes “on May 18 teachers at the San Vincenzo Ferrer school counted 15 bombs which fell close to the school, three no more than a 300 metres away”. On 26 May a missile launched by a fighter jet hit the school compound causing serious damages.
“The missile tore holes in the roof of the library and to make things worse it began to rain and the books must have been soaked ” the Bishop reports. Fortunately the children were not at school.
Repeated bombing on the part of Khartoum’s air force in areas held by the rebels of the Northern Sudan People’s Army, has caused hundreds of casualties and forced more than 400.000 people from their homes. Mons. Gassis called on the sides in the conflict “to work to reach a lasting peace”.