The police in Awerial County of Lakes State have arrested at least 5 people who were involved in a brawl during a church service in Mingkaman town last Sunday.

The Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) members of the displaced community from Jonglei State were the ones involved in the violence which left 5 people injured in Awerial.

In August 2020, the ECSS in Bor, Jonglei State, split following the defrocking of Bishop Reuben Akurdit of the church’s Jonglei internal province by Primate Justin Badi Arama.  One camp welcomed the defrocking, while the other insisted the defrocking over alleged canonical disobedience and misconduct was nonprocedural. The Akurdit camp went to the High Court in Juba to challenge his removal.

John Bol Tier, the county police inspector, told Radio Tamazuj that the violence erupted after ECSS members from rival camps disagreed over procession arrangements. He pointed out that five suspects are being investigated pending a court arraignment.

“The 5 ringleaders are with us in detention. Investigations are still ongoing and as soon as they are complete, they will be presented before a court for trial,” he said.

The Awerial County commissioner, Simon Jok Geng, expressed disappointment over Sunday’s violence and called on the Christians to be exemplary in leadership.

For his part, David Akau, the ECSS Bishop of Awerial Diocese, condemned the wrangles in the ECSS and said that all the clergymen involved will be punished.

“Those who caused the problems within the church are going to be disciplined. So, we are going to carry out some investigations,” Bishop Akau said. “Those who will be found to have been involved are going to be disciplined to show the other people that we have a system.”