The Irish papal nuncio for Burundi, Monsignor Michael Courtney, has died of gunshot wounds in the volatile Central African nation, the Vatican said today.
Army officials said Archbishop Courtney (58), from Nenagh, Co Tipperary, was ambushed by National Liberation Forces (FNL) rebels and shot three times. The FNL immediately denied any involvement and condemned the shooting. "We have nothing against the nuncio. We have men in the area where he was ambushed, but I swear it wasn't us who attacked him," rebel spokesman Pasteur Habimana said.
The Misna missionary news agency said Dr Courtney was shot three times in Minago, about 30 miles south of the capital, Bujumbura. He died from a major haemorrhage while undergoing surgery at a hospital.
The agency said he had been travelling by car with three other passengers when gunfire from a nearby hill sprayed the vehicle. In addition to Dr Courtney, a priest was also lightly injured, while the driver and a hitchhiker were unharmed.
The Vatican issued a statement saying Pope John Paul waspraying for Dr Courtney."The Holy Father, after hearing what happened, immediatelyprayed for the soul of this faithful and generous servant of thechurch, who was killed while undertaking a difficult missionentrusted to him," the Vatican said.
The former Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal Desmond Connell, said he was "greatly distressed by the tragic news of the murder". He said he wished to express his "deepest sympathy with the family of Archbishop Courtney for whom this news must have come as a devastating shock."
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, expressed his shock at the news this evening. He condemned the "horrifying attack" on Archbishop Courtney and conveyed his condolences to his family.
The Minister for Defence, Mr Michael Smith, also joined in praising the slain Archbishop. "He faced the real challenges and dangerous situations he encountered with the utmost courage, knowing full well that he was putting his life at risk by carrying out his duties," Mr Smith said. "I knew Monsignor Courtney well and admired him greatly — I know that his loss will be keenly felt across a very wide spectrum of people."
Monsignor Courtney was born in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. He studied economics and law at University College Dublin before moving to Rome to prepare for the priesthood. He was ordained in 1968, and worked as a parish priest around Ireland until 1976. He then moved back to Rome for postgraduate studies, and entered the Pontifical Diplomatic Academy.
Beginning in 1980, he was a papal representative in South Africa, then in Zimbabwe, Senegal, India, Yugoslavia, Cuba and Egypt. Prior to going to Burundi, he worked for five years as special envoy in Strasbourg, France, monitoring the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights.
The 2000 announcement of Dr Courtney's appointment as Burundi nuncio described him as "one of the church's most experienced diplomats," recounting over 30 years of work in the church. He had been due to leave for Cuba in the next few weeks
Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only four months in office. Since then, some 200,000 Burundians have perished in widespread, often intense ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions.
The government and the main rebel group, the FDD (Forces for the Defence of Democracy), agreed in October to share power. The government has since awarded top ministerial and military posts
to rebel leaders. But the FNL has refused to negotiate with the government and has continued to attack the capital Bujumbura. African leaders have given the group three months to join peace talks
or be branded as outcasts.