Ugandan pastor, eight others missing after attack on church

A pastor and eight other Christians in eastern Uganda went missing two weeks after a Muslim mob attacked a church in Katira village, Budaka district during a prayer meeting.

Around 90 Muslims disrupted the evening prayer meeting at the Katira Church of Uganda on Jan. 15 and beat the congregation with clubs and sticks, Morning Star News reported.

About half of those in attendance were locked inside the building by the assailants. The men were tied up and beaten while the women were raped, according to a church elder who escaped the attack. Around 50 men and 30 women attended the service, and most of those who were locked inside were women, sources have said.

Villagers said that the Muslims had previously thrown stones at the roof of the church building in an attempt to disrupt the church services of the 500-member congregation.

The assailants positioned outside the building also beat up the men and raped the women who tried to escape. "Women's clothing was found inside and outside the church building," a church elder said.

One Christian who escaped reportedly heard an assailant shout, "Away with the pastor who is converting our Muslims to Christianity."

At the time of the attack, Pastor Moses Mutasa was outside the church questioning some visitors. Rev. Musa Mukenye, who oversees several churches in the district's Iki-iki County, said that Mutasa fled after a mob arrived shouting "Away with the pastor."

"We do not know what has happened to our pastor, Moses Mutasa. He might have been killed or has been kept hostage," Mukenye told local officials and the police.

The police reportedly arrived about two hours after the attack. Some of the church members were injured in the rush to get out of the building, and much of the church property were damaged. The assailants fled upon the arrival of the authorities.

On the morning after the attack, some church members planned to retaliate by attacking the village mosque, but Mukenye pleaded with them and ask them to forgive the assailants. He said that Christians should leave justice to the authorities.

"This act is evil, and police should not relent until the attackers are arrested and charged in a court of law," he said.

About 85 percent of the Ugandan population are Christians, and 11 percent are Muslims. The Ugandan Constitution allows the freedom to practice or promote any religion, but religious groups are required to register with the government. Christians living in eastern Uganda suffer from continual attacks committed by non-state figures.