Bukavu, 4. 11. 1996. (IKA) – Croatian missionaries, three men and eight women (Franciscan school sisters), are now at the Eastern Zaire – Kivu district hit by the war. They share the destiny of the people who are exposed to direct danger for their life, as father Jozo Vasilj (Kolwezi) said in his report, reported by Franciscan Institute for culture and peace from Split. Father Ilija Barišić, father Ante Vukušić, sister Blaženka Barun, sister Erika Dadić and sister Ivana Džimbeg are working on health care and education at a suburb of Bukavu, the capital of Kivu district. At the center of Bukavu, at the building of novitiate are sister Mislava Prkić and sister Ivka Piplović. Sister Mirabilis Višić, sister Mirjam Penić and sister Romana Baković are in Luhwinji, where Franciscan sisters have a hospital and education center. Father Stojan Damjanović who also works at that center, is in Croatia at this moment. Beside them, there are five more Croatian missionaries in Zaire, at the Shabi district near by, not yet hit by the war. Father Jozo asks sisters and brothers in homeland to pray for the sisters and brothers in Zair.
Franciscan Institute for culture and peace asked the Foreign Office of Republic Croatia to intercede at the Zaire authorities and international organizations to protect Croatian missionaries. The missionaries turned with the same request to United Nations through “Franciscan International” a non governmental Franciscan organization by UN.