By Bosco Bush
Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Central Equatoria Internal Province, Anglican Communion declared a 30-day mourning, fasting and prayers for the departed souls of Wonduruba-Kuli Papa brutal murder.
This comes after pastoral visit of Provincial Bishops to Wonduruba Administrative Area to comfort the families who lost their loved ones.
On October 10, at least 22 civilians including an Anglican Priest, Rev. Martin Muda Aminadab were killed, and women sexually abused in Wonduruba and Kuli Papa of Juba County.
The clerics stated that, their pastoral visit and findings indicates the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces [SSPDF], Ground Force, stationed at Mongiling, in Wonduruba, are squarely responsible for these killings and sexual abuse and therefore hold them fully accountable.
In a statement seen by this outlet, religious leaders demand for justice for the victims and subsequent eviction of SSPDF presence at Mongiling.
“The church herein declares thirty (30) days of mourning in Central Equatoria Internal Province during which we will pray and fast for justice to prevail and for the removal of Ground force from Mongiling,” read the statement.
The bishops further request perpetrators of the gruesome killings of innocent civilians to report to the Church authorities within the month of declaration of the spiritual discipline.
“We the shepherds of God humbly request those who ordered these brutal executions of the innocent children of God to report to the church authorities within a duration of one month from the date of this declaration,” adding that, “this is our simple prophetic message.”
Central Equatoria State Governor, Augustino Jadalla on November 1, issued an Order forming an Ad-hoc Committee to probe the incidents that occurred in Wonduruba Administrative Payam and Jebel Iraq.
The order tasked the committee to investigate the incidents that occurred on October 9, in the two areas where the killings took place.
Jadalla, also vowed to bring the perpetrators to face the law.
The heinous incident involved brutal killing of civilians with machetes, others were tied and shot.