By: Fr. Efren de Guzman, SVD

War Again!
As we go to press the peace talks in Ivory Coast have broken down and civil war has broken out yet again in weary Angola. Fr. Efren de Guzman, our correspondent in Angola and our intrepid missionary writes and tells us about the hardships.

Cut off Arms and Legs
Last April 8, at 6:00 in the morning, the soldiers in the military camp in Funda, 40 kms. From our convent attacked the people near the camp. They cut off arms and legs of men and women, children were thrown violently to the ground, some of them were killed, others were maimed. The soldiers behaved as if they had lost their mind and accused the people of having killed one of their soldiers, so they could have some reasons for putting our people in prison, one of whom was out catechist. It really was a sad day.

Soldiers are Hungry
The soldier threatened to do the same thing to other village if the government does not pay them their salary. Violence is on the rise. After a week, four people in Sao Jose (30km) were killed by the soldiers. Many soldiers want to leave their camps because they don’t receive their salaries and are hungry. Maybe this situation could account for the banditry that’s happening even in the city of Luanda. Add to this the influx of returning jobless Angolan refugees. Some 120 thousand from Zambia and more than 300,000 from Zaire.

Priest Murdered and Tortured
Within this week, nine foreigners were murdered. Last Friday, Padre Abilio Guerra, Holy Spirit Missionary, while entering their compound to park his car, was suddenly whisked away. This happened at about 7:00 in the evening. Soon after his provincial superior and a brother called the city exit police station, hospitals and other places, looking for him but to no avail. The following day at four in the afternoon he was found in the morgue of a hospital. Earlier someone had found his body in a place near the airport covered by grass. There were marks of brutal torture. He had a wound in the head, the face, the eyes, burns on the arms and a gun-shot in his side. He must have been tied up to his seats as there were marks on his thighs and lower torso. It seems that was the third attempt on him and the bandits succeeded.

Children Murdered
Carnappers are not content to get the car; they kill cruelly the owners. Last Sunday, two Portuguese couples and three children who enjoyed their day in the beach were murdered. Within three months according to the police source there have been more than hundred and fifty deaths within Luanda and its periphery. It is very risky now to go out especially by car. But our works demands that we go out. So please pray for us.

Community Based Health Program
Inspite of the difficulties in organization we are able to give a course for infirmarians to our lay leaders in collaboration with the government doctors. Yesterday, I presented some of the participants to our vicar general Padre Poljak.

Dangerous Roads
We are waiting for the dry season to be able to go to the mountains of Nambuangongo. As of now we cannot go because the roads are dangerous.
In Kilunda and Casas Novas we continue to give seminars for the formations of the Catechists on Saturdays.

Lepers Self-help
For the fist time in Funda Leprosarium we have requested some widows and mothers to help clean the houses of the lepers. They have responded to this request and they do the cleaning on Wednesdays. In Funda Leper Center (37 kms.) and other villages we have more than eighty lepers.

Swedish Volunteer
In Nambuangongo (250 Kms.) there are more than 300 lepers. We have a young lady Elsa Maria Cristina from Sweden, who is working with us for the orphans, she is taking their pictures and working on pertinent data for their records.

B.C.C
Last Saturday, I meet with a group of young people who want me to help them organize themselves into a Christian Community, we hope to help them crystallize into an active, responsive and caring group for God’s Kingdom
This is all for now!
May the love of God inspire and protect you.