A recent dramatic increase in attacks by Kony rebels in Uganda has caused about 175 Seventh-day Adventists to scatter, and their situation is currently unknown, reports Beat Odermatt, president of the church in South Sudan.

An increase in attacks on the highway between the Ugandan towns of Kampala and Arua has also resulted in the death of one church member. The Adventist, a merchant from Sudan, was killed when the bus he was traveling on came under attack.

Kony rebels have also attacked refugee camps in Acholpii, and burned more than 150 grass huts, causing about 25,000 refugees to flee further south, leaving their possessions behind. The risks involved in transporting food and other necessities have caused many, including the United Nations, to suspend deliveries to towns and refugee camps. In mid-September, a U.N. driver was killed and several others seriously injured.