Clerics battle for soul of ECSS

The Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), led by Primate Justin Badi Arama has rejected the scheduled community-led dialogue with the defrocked Archbishop Reuben Akurdid Ngong.

This came after the acting governor of Jonglei State, Tuong Majok Deng, expelled both the defrocked Archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province, Reuben Akurdid, and the ECSS backed Archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province, Moses Anur Ayom.

Anur went to Bor last week in a bid to assume his duties as the Archbishop while accompanied by Bishop Zechariah Manyok Biar, the diocesan Bishop of Wanglei, and Gabriel Thuch Agoth, the diocesan Bishop of Kongor. The trio settled at Langbaar B.

The decision sparked a reaction from the youth who stormed the church compound on Saturday, leading to the shootings that left three people injured, including Bishop Zechariah Manyok.

The Jonglei State Minister of Information, Veronicah Williams, yesterday said the state government expelled the two archbishops and their colleagues to reduce tension in the state.

“We wrote this letter so that the two bishops can leave the state because we don’t want conflict in our state. It looks very bad for chaos to be seen in the church like this. So they have to go to Juba to solve their differences there, ” Veronica said.

However, Tuong, who issued the order for the expulsion of the clerics, declined to comment on the matter when contacted on the phone yesterday.

The ECSS communication officer, Manyang Gabriel Kon, yesterday said they were not interested in community-led dialogue to settle church disputes.

He stressed that what the primate said is what should be done by leaving the church to settle its affairs.

“We haven’t heard anything like this before, and we’re not going to encourage it. Our bishops came to Juba because they did not want the tension to escalate. But we are going to arrange it again when they go back. “Church disputes cannot be settled by the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, Philip Maluak Deng, a spokesman for defrocked Archbishop Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid, said they were only waiting for communication from the state government and the Bor community so that the case could be resolved.

He accused Primate Badi of ordering Anur and the two other bishops to sneak into the territory of another bishop.

He stated that they have their own dioceses, and they could not go to the territory of another bishop.

“He came here purposely on the call of the community and the state government so that he could come and listen to the problem of these three bishops who came to Bor town and settled in the territory of Makuach diocese to provoke the shooting. There was tension. That’s why he came here so that the case could be settled here,” Maluak said.

“Those bishops who went to Bor have their respective dioceses, and there is order number one, issued during the time of Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, that any person cannot operate in different dioceses. They settled under the diocese of Makuach and there is someone in charge of that diocese. “

Maluak said Anur was enthroned illegally and should wait in Panyagoor until the case between Akurdid and ECSS is finished in the court of appeal.

“He made a mistake in defrocking someone who did not change any constitutions or commit adultery. There is no way people can accept wrong defrocking and good enough that the high court cancelled defrocking before because when they looked into the constitution, they found Akurdid was not guilty,” Akurdid’s spokesperson argued.

He revealed that the Bor community chairperson, Dr Angok Gordon Kuol is expected to convene a meeting when he returns from Bor.

Maluak claimed that if Archbishop Badi refused to attend the community-led event expected to be attended by the Jonglei State government, he would face the law.

Press conference

On Saturday last week, Badi convened a press conference in which he condemned the attack on bishops. He blamed such acts on politicians who were meddling in church affairs by inciting the community to turn against the church.

Badi stated that Akurdid was dismissed on a disciplinary basis according to church traditions and nothing would alter that unless he tenders an apology letter to the office of the primate.

“It is sad to learn that some senior politicians from Jonglei are misleading innocent citizens to commit such evil acts against the church. We appeal to all Christians in Jonglei to refrain from violence, and we will continue to pray for the safety of bishops, clergy, and other ECSS workers as they carry on with their pastoral activities,” said the Primate, Justine Badi Arama.

The primate said it was the third attack on ECSS bishops in Bor and called upon the Jonglei State authorities to allow the ECSS bishops to work within the state as the only solution to the stalemate.

Justice needed

He cited an incident in which the police shot two youth in Langbaar B in 2021 but the perpetrator was not brought to book. He cited another incident in which two bishops were stopped at Bor Airstrip, humiliated, and deported to Juba by the state government.

Philip Maluak, the spokesperson for Akurdid, admitted that the attack was carried out by youth from the Makuach diocese, which was under Reuben Akurdid.

 “The case is not between Akudid and ECSS, it is between Makuach diocese and ECSS. The bishops, who include Moses Anur, Gabriel Thuch Agoth, and Zecharia Manyok, came to Bor and wanted to come and enthrone another bishop of Makuach,” Maluak explained.

“The youth wanted them to leave yesterday, but they refused. They were ordered by the government of Jonglei State to go back to Juba, but they refused. This is why the youth decided to take action without waiting for the promised dialogue by the state government. “

Hell breaks loose

On Saturday, at 3:00 am, the bishops’ residence was attacked in Langbaar B church by armed youths, resulting in two men and one woman being injured.

The Police Commissioner in Jonglei State, Maj. Gen. Joseph Mayen Akoon confirmed the incident but said it was stable.

 “The Archbishop came with other bishops so that he could assume his duties in Bor. This is why the youth who supported the former Archbishop Reuben Akurdid mobilised themselves and attacked the bishops’ residence, but there were no severe injuries, ” he explained.

Mayen said the state police were investigating the incident, adding that the suspects had been identified and were being pursued.

“We have registered some names of the people who are accused, and we are currently pursuing them, for further investigation,” said the police commissioner.

Court ruling

Concerning this unending feud, the Jonglei State government last year resolved that both Akurdid and Anur would not go to Bor until they had solved their differences in Juba. The case was handled by the high court.

In August 2021, High Court Judge Lawrence Jaja passed judgement in the case of Reuben Akurdid and the ECSS under Primate Justin Badi Arama.

The ruling concluded that the church should sit down and solve the case through the ECSS tribunal court. However, Akurdid was dissatisfied with the ruling and appealed. He, therefore, proceeded to Jonglei State, where he declared himself the Archbishop until the case is resolved.

He united with the Malek Diocese under Bishop Peter Joh Mayom and said the ECSS bishops should not visit Bor Town. Bor’s community elders later approached the primate, asking him to forgive Reuben Akurdid.

But the primate asked for an apology, which Akurdid refused to give.

The Bor community elders later declared that Akurdid would remain their archbishop, adding that the office of the primate should forgive Akurdid according to God’s doctrine.