By Oketayot Santo
The Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan Justin Badi Arama on Sunday set a new condition for lifting of defrocking of the Archbishop of Jonglei Diocese Internal Province.
Addressing a press conference at in Juba at the All Saints Cathedral, Badi said the drefrocked archbishop Ruben Akurdit should resign immediately after lifting of the defrocking, a move that Akurdit rejected.
The Primate however gave the defrocked archbishop two weeks to go and consult with his people in Jonglei before lifting of the defrock.
“The main contentious issues was he wanted to be reinstated as full archbishop for three months, we told him that the church law doesn’t go that way, he has to be reinstated as retired archbishop of Jonglei of which he said he will first go and consult his people and then come back with the feedback” Badi said.
Earlier this month, the leader of the breakaway faction of ECCSS’ Jonglei Internal Province, Ruben Akurdit Ngong, agreed to reconcile after falling out in 2020 following president Kiir led mediation.
Responding to the new condition set by the Primate Badi, Ruben Akurdit Ngong expressed disappointment with the decision.
“Am very disappointed because he was the one who went to the president that we have failed as a church to resolve this problem so he went to the President, the President came in and gave advises to resolve but the president came with a resolution that I will be reinstated and then given three months and to unite the church and then to confirm the three dioceses and their bishops this seems as it was okay but in the morning when we were in the office it was the opposite so am very disappointed,” Akurdit said.
For his part, the Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth, part of the mediation team said they will continue mediating between the parties so that they can find a solution.
“We are not giving up we will continue to mediate because we are peace makers and as peacemakers it is our duty to ensure that we continue to talk to the parties so that we can reach an amicable solution that will bring peace and stability in our area” Makuei said.
