Bishop’s Faithful Story of being held Captive by Armed Rebels

A Burundi bishop has told of his story about how he managed to escape from armed rebels in a fire-fight in the bush. He and his associate were travelling on their way back from a confirmation service when they were captured and held a gunpoint.

Bishop Pie Ntukamazina who comes from Bujumbura was captured in early August by Hutu reels of the National Liberation Front approximately six miles to the south of the Burundi capital.

The kidnapping brought back memories of last year when rebels shot and killed the former nuncio apostolic to Burundi, Michael Courtney in the same area.

A four vehicle convey was stopped by rebels wielding guns, and five women, a Catholic priest, a Catholic Deacon and a Muslim leader were forced into a nearby countryside. They were all robbed of their possessions and held captive.

The bishop in a letter to supporters and mission agencies said, “Having made a few telephone calls, the gunmen then set fire to the vehicles, and then engaged in a long gun battle with other armed men coming from behind us. This counter-attack allowed us to flee and I hid in the nearby bushy scrubland, where I stayed for the whole night alone.”

“You can imagine what I was doing and what I was thinking about throughout that night. Yes, I was praying and I was gazing. Praying, wondering if God would come to my rescue. Looking around, eyes wide-open to see what was surrounding me, such as enemies, animals and of course snakes.”

As he sat in captivity he told of how Psalm 121 gave him comfort, ”I lift up my eyes to the hills...My help comes from the Lord”.

The Bishop’s story brought back to many listeners, memories of the scene of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25 when even though they had been severely flogged and thrown in prison they still had the thankful hearts and strong faith to pray and sing hymns to God.

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them"