JUBA — The Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Archbishop Dr. Justin Badi Arama, on Friday denied being beaten by residents over an outstanding land dispute in Juba.
A violent clash erupted Thursday morning between members of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and residents of the Gezira area in Juba’s Munuki neighborhood over a long-standing land dispute.
The conflict stems from a disagreement between the church and the Central Equatoria State government over ownership of the land.
A photo shared on social media showed Primate Arama sitting on the ground, looking like he was assaulted by youth.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Juba on Friday, Primate Dr. Justin Badi said the photo of him shared on social media sitting down was during prayers and fasting for this crisis.
“And the second way out is in the hand of the government. Because the land title was issued by the government and the one who has come to re-demarcate and give it out is the government,” said Badi.
“So, the solution is in their hands [government]. But prior to that, when there was no demarcation, the church was free, and then the people sitting around, they were free,” he added.
Clergy stated that the church has been there for more than 60 years, adding that the church was founded in 1965 and a formal land title was given in 1987.
“Since then, there has been no conflict between the church and the citizens around. This year, the Ministry of Housing in the Government of Central Equatorial State came to re-demarcate the place, including the church compound, and give it out to some individuals,” he claimed.
“During that demarcation, the house of the priest of St. Stephen in Munuki was demolished, the stores were demolished, and the toilets both at St. Stephen and St. Thomas and the office were demolished,” Badi noted.
He added that the church informed the governor of Central Equatoria State, who promised to address the issue.
“We then decided to go and pray at the scene. When the priests and laity reached the church compound at St. Stephen, youths were mobilized by those who had received the plots to throw stones at the priests. Nobody was beaten, but only stones fell on some few priests and laity.”
The primate disclosed that the government of Central Equatorial State came and expressed their apology and assured the church that they are going to suspend all the activities on the land.
The church stated that they are waiting to see if individuals who are assigned to the church compound be relocated to other locations.
Ministers David Morbe Aquilino of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities and Lupai Satimon Andrew of Cabinet Affairs reassured the church of the government’s commitment to protecting religious institutions and maintaining public safety.
“No harm will come to you — your security is our responsibility. We deeply regret the incident and extend our sincere apologies to the church leadership and congregation. The Government of CES stands firmly against any form of violence or intimidation targeting places of worship,” he said.
The CES government also confirmed that investigations are underway and that additional security measures are being taken to prevent further tensions and ensure peace within the community.
