Field tracker · Cameroon · Sub-Saharan Africa

AFRICA/CAMEROON - Three religious kidnapped in late June in the Country's North-West region have been released

Nkongsamba – The three religious – a priest and two friars – who were kidnapped on June 27 in north-western Cameroon have been released. The announcement was made by the Diocese of Nkongsamba in a statement published yesterday, July 1, and signed by the Chancellor, Father Lue-Roger Budo. "The Diocese of Nkongsamba gives thanks to God for the release of Fr. John Bosco Bihkong and Brothers Sylvester Sewong and Marie Rodrigue Sop, Franciscan Friars of Emmanuel, who were abducted during the night of Saturday, June 27, in the North-West Region," the statement reads. News of the abduction had been announced by the Diocese in a statement dated June 30 and signed by the Vicar General, Msgr. Joseph Tchinda Dountio. According to the statement, the three religious were seized by armed men on the night of June 27 while returning to Nkongsamba after attending Father Bihkong's first Mass, celebrated on June 26 in his native village, Melim by Ndop, in the North-West Region. Father Bihkong had been ordained to the priesthood only a few days before. The statement also specified that Fr. Bihkong serves in the Diocese of Nkongsamba, while Brother Sylvester Sewong is guardian of the convent in Kékem and Brother Marie Rodrigue Sop is a temporarily professed friar preparing for his perpetual profession. The main suspects behind the triple abduction are separatist fighters active in the country's English-speaking western regions. No details, however, have been released regarding the circumstances of their release. This is not the first time that Catholic priests and religious have fallen victim to the Anglophone crisis, which has now been ongoing for nearly a decade . Priests, pastors and other religious leaders have frequently been targeted by separatist groups operating in the North-West and South-West Regions . The Franciscan of Emmanuel are a fraternity of evangelical life founded on January 5, 1985, in the Archdiocese of Montreal. Rooted in the Franciscan tradition, the fraternity is present in both Quebec and Cameroon.

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