The long- running dispute that has split the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) in Jonglei state seems to show no sign of ending, as the leader of a breakaway faction Archbishop Ruben Akurdid Ngong set his reinstatement as condition to resolve the standoff.
The ECSS leadership split in August 2020 when Primate Justin Badi Arama, defrocked Bishop Reuben Akurdid accusing him of canonical disobedience.
Akurdid was later replaced as the head of Jonglei Internal Province by Archbishop Moses Anur Ayom leading to the split of the church faithful.
Philip Maluak, the press secretary for Akurdid, told The Juba Echo on Thursday his boss is demanding to be reinstated to his former position for a period of three months to end the dispute that saw some 27 Christians arrested last week following violent incident at St.Peter’s Parish in Bor town.
“We made consultation and we are going by the resolution made by President Salva Kiir, there is nobody above the President, Akurdid has to be reinstated for 3 months and we are standing with this position,” Maluak said.
“The church is under Makuach community and the Archdiocese of Bor, the intellectuals cannot accept the confusion to happen in their land. It was supposed to be demolished but the youth were advised not to demolish it, it (St. Peter’s church) has to remain closed until the crisis is resolved,” he said.
Police confirmed that community leaders and chiefs from Makuach mobilized heavily armed youth to forcefully close St. Peter’s church whose faithful are loyal to Moses Anur Ayom, the Archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province.
Archbishop Akurdid has been locked in four -year dispute with the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Justin Badi Arama following the latter’s unilateral decision to consecrate bishops of the diocese of Anyidi, Makuac and Chueikeer diocese in Jonglei state.
In June, Akurdid consulted with his congregation over his pending reinstatement as retired Archbishop of the Episcopal Church Jonglei Internal province.
