Four people were injured when members of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) in Bor town, Jonglei State clashed with security forces at the church premises on Saturday.
The clashes reportedly erupted following a misunderstanding between the congregants and the forces deployed to shut down the Langbar (B) St. Peter Parish.
According to the police, the shutdown was intended to halt simmering tensions between two ECSS factions in Bor.
The August defrocking of the Bishop of the Jonglei Internal Province Reuben Akurdit Ngong by the ECSS primate Justin Badi Arama over disobedience saw the church divided as Akurdit rejected the move.
“The police personnel came here to close down the church. We rejected that because there were no official documents from the government for the closure. There, a misunderstanding erupted. Police clashed with the youth. From our side, two youth sustained gunshot wounds after police started opening fire. From the side of the police, we saw an officer pelted with stones,” Samuel Atem Nyuon, the parish pastor told Radio Tamazuj Sunday.
He condemned the incident, claiming they may have been targeted because of their loyalty to Primate Badi.
The church’s secretary David Jok said they will continue conducting services despite what he called threats by the government.
“Our church was not closed after resistance. So, this Sunday, we went on with our services," he said.
The church official called on the national government to intervene.
For his part, Joseph Mayen Akoon, the state police commissioner, denied the church's version of what transpired saying, “The problem started after we went to close the church. It had been closed in November but they opened without our consent. So in our attempt to close it, we were met with resistance. Someone in the church opened fire on our side and the same bullet injured a young boy. Two more officers were pelted with stones on the heads.”
Mayen said investigations are ongoing into the incident.
Asked for the way forward, the senior police officer pointed out that all churches have been allowed to operate after pastors accepted responsibility when violence erupts.