Two bishops under Bishop Bol Arok of the Anglican Church of South Sudan were freed from military detention in Mingkaman of Awerial County of Lakes State on Thursday.
On December 31, 2023, members of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) stormed an Anglican Church in Puluk Payam of Awerial County during Sunday services. They brutally beat up church members, including a 7-year-old child.
The SSPDF soldiers shut down the church and arrested Michael Jalang, Bishop of the Anglican Church and Peter Adum Deng, Bishop of Twic East Diocese of Jonglei State.
The arrests were made after the Puluk community rejected Bishop Jalang’s request to set up his church in Malual-Tuk Boma of Puluk Payam, creating tensions.
Bishop Jalang left the Awerial Diocese of the Episcopal Church in 2020 after he fell out with Diocesan Bishop David Akau.
The misunderstanding occurred in 2020 when Bishop Akau was suspended by the Primate of the Anglican Church of South Sudan, Justin Badi Arama, to resolve his family issue after being accused of cohabitation.
On September 12, 2021, the Archbishop of South Sudan Anglican Church, His Grace Peter Bol Arop, and his counterpart Joseph Muchai—who is the Archbishop of Nakuru Archdiocese in Kenya— appointed Bishop Michael Jalang Jalueth and assigned him to the Anglican Diocese of Awerial County.
Peter Adum Deng, Bishop of Twic East Diocese of Jonglei State, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that they were released following a riot by their Church members, forcing the Governor of Lakes State, Rin Tueng Mabor, to order their release.
“Our release happened because there were riots all over the country from our members who called the governor of the state because arresting bishops is a violation of freedom of worship in the country. So our members had to raise the alarm,” said Bishop Deng.
For his part, Michael Jalang, Bishop of Anglican Church in Awerial County, said that the soldiers beat up worshipers and confiscated church equipment.
“The commandeering officer beat up one of the pastors who came to listen to our conversation with them. He hit him on the back with a stick, and the soldiers came and also beat up the pastor and pulled him down on the ground, and when he stood up, he passed blood through the mouth. He was thrown into the car, and the soldiers immediately started beating up civilians who came to worship God,” said Jalang.
He said the pastor tortured by SSPDF soldiers is in critical condition and has been transported to Juba for further medical attention.
“They beat up young boys and women, and they were thrown into the car and covered with blankets and tents, and they poured water and fuel on them, and the soldiers sat on them. They entered the church and destroyed sound-speakers and cut the wire of microphone, and they took chairs including money, watch and the phone of the youth. I was arrested with the bishop and we were taken to Guolyar,” he explained.
For his part, Philip Mawut Garang, Commissioner of Awerial County, said he shut down the Church to prevent fighting following a misunderstanding between the bishop and community members.
He said the misunderstanding arose when Bishop Jalang insisted on setting up his church in Malual-Tuk of Puluk Payam after the Puluk community rejected his church’s establishment in the area.
Commissioner Garang denied the claim that the soldier beat up pastors and shut down the church, adding the bishops were released.
“That is not true because our concern as a government is security, and if we receive a report of insecurity, we can’t allow it to happen. The allegation of the beating of pastors is not true. They were told by the government authorities to report to Mingkaman, but they refused and decided to continue with services by all means,” he said.
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