Priest, Missionary Killed in Moz

Angonia (Mozambique), November 7, 2006, (SVM News): A Brazilian Jesuit priest named Waldyr dos Santos and a Porugese lay leader Ilda Neto Gomes were murdered in the western Mozambican province of Tete on 6th of November. A gang of six unidentified armed men with Makarov pistol attacked the Fonte Boa mission in Tsangano district and killed them on Monday morning. The underground missionary of the At Anycost Jesus Mission in Mozambique and Malawi reported to the SVM News.

Due to the attack, a Mozambican named Jose Araujo de Andrade of 75 years old, and a Portuguese citizen Fernando Carvalho also seriously injured. They are admitted at the Ulongue Rural Hospital in the neighbouring district of Angonia for further medical assistance. Both are the members of the Fonte Boa Mission.

Frei Moura, the Commander of the Tete Provincial Police Corporation that they will immediately send an investigation team to Fonte Boa.

The motive of this attack may be robbery, because the attackers made off with a suitcase containing clothing, a camera and a purse full of documents; the police authorities suspect.

Frei Moura said, "We are truly worried, because that area is close to the border with Malawi, and this is the second time that armed men have attacked the Fonte Boa mission. A similar attack was happened two years ago and stole a vehicle, that was later recovered in Malawi. We are going to work on the present case to solve it as soon as possible".

"The thieves managed to steal the vehicle only on the first attack, because of the resistance offered by father Waldyr dos Santos", Moura added.

The Fonte Boa mission runs a school, and local people afraid that the school may be closed because of the attack.