In a dramatic turn of events, the newly installed Bishop of Kolmerek in Jonglei State, Reverend Ngong Ayuen Kur, was apprehended by local authorities in Bor on Monday.

The arrest follows a heated dispute between the Abuodit community and the embattled former Archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province, Ruben Akurdid Ngong.

The Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), Dr. Justin Badi Arama, defrocked Akurdid in August 2020 after accusing him of canonical disobedience after the latter disallowed his suspension from the church over the unilateral creation of dioceses in the province and instead sought redress from the High Court in Juba.

The latest controversy centers around the lack of consultation with the Abuodit community before Bishop Ngong’s enthronement. Community leaders assert that they were not adequately informed or consulted about this significant appointment, leading them to file a case with the police against Bishop Ngong.

Major General Moses Machok Makuach, the acting police commissioner in Jonglei State, confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that police arrested Bishop Ngong Ayuen Kur along with three others and that they have been remanded to Bor Central Prison.

The police chief said Ngong was previously arrested on Saturday and released on grounds of sickness on Sunday, but instead went to the Saint Andrews Cathedral for enthronement and was rearrested there.

“We sent the forces yesterday (Sunday) and we arrested him and put him on remand in prison along with three others,” Gen. Machok explained. “We now urge the community to remain calm and wait on the directives from the Attorney General on the next step on how this case will be resolved.”

He said the police intervened because the community had raised concerns which stemmed from fears that the unilateral decision to enthrone Bishop Ngong could exacerbate existing tensions and lead to division within the community.

The defrocked Archbishop Ruben Akurdid, a powerful figure in the breakaway ECSS’s Bor diocese, has been at the center of the storm. Despite being defrocked in 2020 by Primate Justin Badi, the highest-ranking clergyman in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Archbishop Akurdid continues to wield influence.

Akurdid actions have raised eyebrows, as he has consecrated several bishops in Bor County without official authorization. The Abuodit community views this as a blatant disregard for established protocols and a challenge to their community’s cohesion.