South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Private and Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), Justin Badi Arama, on Friday clarified that he was not assaulted during clashes that occurred Thursday between St. Stephen Church and the local community.
“The photo of the primate sitting down was taken during prayers and fasting for this situation. It is not true that he was beaten; nobody harmed the primate. The police contained the situation before we arrived at the scene,” Badi told journalists during the press conference.
When the priests and laity arrived at the church compound at St. Stephen, youths mobilized by those who had received the plots began throwing stones at the priests. No one was beaten, but a few priests and laity were hit by stones,” he said.
On Thursday, the land dispute between St. Stephen Episcopal Church and the residents of Munuki suburb erupted into a violent confrontation, highlighting the growing tensions over land ownership.
Badi stated that the court has ruled three times in favor of the church, adding that a court case brought before the county court in 2012 was also ruled in favor of the church by the high court in 2017.
“The first case was ruled in favor of the church, leading to an appeal to the high court, which again ruled in favor of the church in 2017. For the third time, the decision favored the church,” he said.
Badi revealed that St. Stephen’s Parish in Munuki was established in 1965, with its official land title issued in 1987, noting that there has been no conflict between the local citizens and the church.
Badi mentioned that the Ministry of Housing in the Government of Central Equatoria State recently began demarcating the area, including the church compound, and added that the priest’s house, the stores, and the toilets have been demolished.
