By Charles K Mark
Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) Secretariat has distanced itself from the arrest of Reverend Ngong Ayuen Kur, the Bishop of Kolmerek in Jonglei State.
The arrest, which occurred on Monday, followed a heated dispute between the embattled former Archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province, Ruben Akurdid Ngong, and the Abuodit community.
Gabriel Manyang, the communication officer of the ECSS in Juba, clarified that the church is not associated with the events taking place in the defrocked bishop’s camp.
“We at the ECSS will not comment on this matter because it does not concern us as the Church,” Manyang said.
“We defrocked Bishop Akurdit, and he decided to consecrate his own bishops, so whatever happens on his side must be dealt with by him and his team,” he added.
The Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), Dr. Justin Badi Arama, defrocked Akurdid in August 2020.
Akurdit was accused of canonical disobedience after the latter rejected his suspension from the church over the unilateral creation of dioceses.
Jonglei State Acting Police Commissioner, Major General Moses Machok Makuach, told this outlet that the latest controversy centres on the lack of consultation with the Abuodit community before Bishop Ngong’s enthronement.
He said the leaders proclaimed a lack of adequate information and consultation in the appointment, leading them to file a case with the police against proclaimed Bishop Ngong.
Maj. Gen. Machok said the police arrested Ngong along with three others and that they have been remanded to Bor Central Prison.
The commissioner reported that Ngong was first arrested on Saturday and released on grounds of sickness on Sunday, but instead went to Saint Andrew’s Cathedral for enthronement and was rearrested there then.
“We sent the forces yesterday (Sunday), and we arrested him and put him on remand in prison along with three others,” the acting police commissioner stated.