But it was in Juba this past weekend - coinciding with the fifth anniversary of independence from Sudan – that serious violence has broken out, and on Saturday and Sunday the local Salesian mission received over a thousand people trying to escape, and the number is increasing. The Salesians reported that outside the city the sound of shooting and explosions can constantly be heard.
As a result, the more than 3,000 women and children who have been receiving assistance in the mission for over a year are being joined by groups of people and families who are hosted in the classrooms and in the chapel of the mission. At present the Salesians and the volunteers who work in the mission are the only people there to help them.
People are looking to the Salesian house for a minimum of security. They believe and hope that the presence of religious and foreign volunteers will prevent the warring parties from attacking the mission. This morning the Salesian Rector has described the situation they are living in, "the situation is very bad, we are afraid for their lives, we would like to help, but it is very difficult to find a way ... We want peace, but we see nothing but death and destruction."
