Two Anglican bishops released without charges

By Awan Achiek

Two bishops of the Anglican Church of South Sudan that were arrested last week in Minkaman of Awerial County have been released without charges after spending two days in military detention.

Peter Adum Deng, Bishop of Twic East Diocese of Jonglei State and Michael Jalang the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Awerial County were set free on 2 January after their brutal arrest by South Sudan People’s Defense Forces soldiers.

 “We were released without any condition and there are no even charges and even when we were arrested, we don’t even know who was arresting us,” said Bishop Deng in an interview with The Dawn on Friday.

The arrests were made after a misunderstanding emerged between the community and bishop Michael Jalang leading to tensions.

Bishop Deng accused the SSPDF soldiers of stealing 10 chairs and SSP 80,000 from the church.  

“The equipment they have stolen is about 10 chairs of the church. This is stealing because they robbed the church. They took six watches and five phones, three smartphones and two ordinary phones and they also took 80,000 SSP,” said Deng.

He added that the soldiers also destroyed the wires of the microphone and shut down the generator.

 “They took a jerry can of cooking oil with them and they poured down the food that was prepared for the faithful,” said Deng.

On December 31, 2023, soldiers stormed the Anglican Church in Puluk Payam of Awerial County during Sunday services where they brutally beat up church members, including 14 pastors and a 7-year-old child.

Mr. James Awur Akec, an intellectual in Awerial County said the two bishops were investigated and later released without any charges brought against them.

“When they were arrested, they spent only two days in detention and were released by the Area commander who told me that the case was finished. He investigated the two bishops and after investigation, he released them,” said Awur.

Bishop Jalang broke away from the Awerial Diocese of the Episcopal Church in 2020 after he fell out with Diocesan Bishop David Akau.

The misunderstanding occurred in 2020 when Bishop Akau was suspended by the Primate of the Anglican Church of South Sudan, Justin Badi Arama after being accused of having extramarital affairs.

On September 12, 2021 the Archbishop of South Sudan Anglican Church, His Grace Peter Bol Arop and his counterpart Joseph Muchai who is the Archbishop of Nakuru Archdiocese in Kenya appointed Bishop Michael Jalang Jalueth and assigned him to the Anglican Diocese of Awerial County.