Nairobi, Nov 09, 2001 (African Church Information Service/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- The recent kidnapping of humanitarian workers in Sudan's northern Bahr el Ghazal is yet another testimony of Khartoum's lack of respect for human rights, a Catholic bishop has said. Bishop Caesar Mazzolari of Diocese of Rumbek, southern Sudan, expressed the sentiments in Rome, Italy, during an interview with the Catholic news agency, MISNA. He said Khartoum must immediately order the release of 27-year-old Kenyan Juliana Mururi if it is to convince the world that it respects human rights. Pro-government militia seized Ms Mururi on November 2.
A spokesman of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) said she was taken together with two male Sudanese co-workers, whose names could not be identified.
Mr John Duku, SPLA's representative to Nordic countries, said in a press release that the government army and the horseback riding Arab militias, commonly known as Murahileen, carried out the abductions. Ms Mururi worked as a nutritionist at Nyamlel.
"I feel that Juliana Mururi's liberation is an act of justice that the government of Khartoum must carry out if it wants to demonstrate to the world that human rights are respected in Sudan", said Bishop Mazzolari.
He added that during the joint ACP-EU Assembly on November 1, in a resolution voted in Brussels, the Sudan government was called to respect human rights, particularly those of religious personnel. "I, therefore call, on the authorities of Khartoum to free the Kenyan volunteer", said the cleric.
"At the time of her kidnapping, she was working in a war zone with the sole intent of assisting the tired civil population".
Bishop Mazzolari also urged all the churches in Sudan and Muslims of good will to pray for the prompt release of the hostage. Ms Mururi was abducted in Aweil town as she attempted to flee from marauding government troops and militias, who raided the nearby town of Nyamlel.
"This barbaric behaviour confirms our assertion that the National Islamic Front (NIF) is determined to carry on with its declared objective of Jihad (Islamic holy war), said Duku.
Duku said the government troops were very much aware of where the SPLA units are, but they avoided such and instead attacked relief centres. "Such military policy has resulted in massive displacement of the civil population in Nyamlel and surrounding areas," he said.
He called on the international community to condemn the Sudanese government and ask for the immediate release of the workers, who he said were being held in the government military garrison of Wadweil, north of Nyamlel.
Nyamlel falls under the Diocese of Wau, but Wau, is in government-held territory, forcing the neighbouring Diocese of Rumbek that lies in the south to co-ordinate most of the pastoral and relief operations there.