Catholic Priest Freed In Cameroon, One Hostage Dead
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent
YAOUNDE (Worthy News) – A Catholic priest is the last of six hostages to be released in Cameroon, but one of them died, Worthy News established Monday.
Valentin Mbaibarem was among those captured on May 7, said the Archbishop of Garoua, adding that “he is in good physical condition.” It was not immediately clear who had been responsible for the kidnapping and whether arrests had been made.
The Cameroonian parish priest of St. John the Baptist Church in the town of Madingring was kidnapped with the other five other people, Vatican sources said.
Archbishop Faustin Ambassa Ndjodo of Garoua said in published remarks that “Mbaibarem was released” on the night of May 15 to 16.
The priest has seen a doctor and is reportedly in good physical condition.
He was the last of six hostages to be freed. Four were released before him, and one died in captivity, several sources said.
Local press reported that a ransom of about $42,000 had been demanded for the priest’s release.
NO RANSOM
The archbishop denied that a ransom was needed for the priest’s return, but he said he did not know if others had paid for their freedom.
In a statement announcing the priest’s release, the Archdiocese of Garoua thanked “all those who prayed” for the priest’s release, adding that they “invoke the Lord’s blessing on everyone who worked toward this goal.”
The kidnapping had underscored frustration among Christians about the abductions, especially in regions of the country with a significant population of Muslim extremists.“This is especially the case in the Far North region. Here, Islamic militants – specifically Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) – regularly attack, trying to carve out a caliphate in Cameroon’s most volatile region,” explained advocacy group Open Doors.
The group ranks Cameroon 43rd on its annual World Watch List of 50 countries where it says Christians face most persecution for their faith in Christ. “Christians who live in these areas are targets for violence, including abduction and murder. Converts from Islam are forced to practice their faith in secret, and owning Bibles or Christian books can be extremely dangerous,” Open Doors noticed in as assessment.
The group said that the violence in the Central African nation of 17 million has forced many churches to close,” leaving some “believers without a place of worship.”
Additionally, Christians and others in the Central African nation suffer in the ongoing conflict between separatists and the nation’s government.
“This violence has created a massive humanitarian crisis. Christians caught in the middle have been accused by both sides of ‘harboring the enemy,’ and their churches and property destroyed,” Open Doors stressed.
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