![Pastor Jeremiah Athian Mangoong . [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-21-101832.png?ssl=1)
The victim, identified as Pastor Jeremiah Athian Mangoong of the Lietnhom church in Gogrial East County, succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Wau following the assault.
Police named the prime suspect as 27-year-old Malueth Bol Akol, who they say led a group of relatives to the pastor’s home to carry out the attack.
“The suspect… together with his relatives attacked Jeremiah Athian Mangoong, who is a brother to the girl [Malueth] impregnated, and struck him severally on the head, back, and chest before he fled,” said Brigadier Mony-Tooc Deng, the Police Inspector for Gogrial East.
The incident has shocked the local community, with authorities describing the targeted killing of a clergyman over a domestic dispute as unprecedented in the area.
According to Brigadier Deng, Malueth had previously been detained in connection with the pregnancy case.
However, he reportedly convinced a duty officer to release him on temporary bail, promising to return the following day. Instead of returning to custody, police allege he organized the fatal assault on the woman’s brother.
“The officer who was on duty is being detained,” Deng said.
While Malueth remains at large, police confirmed they have arrested two of his relatives who allegedly participated in the beating.
Brigadier Deng eulogized the deceased as a “God-fearing person” and urged the public to resolve matrimonial and domestic disputes through the legal system rather than resorting to vigilantism.
Violent disputes over relationships and marriage are a persistent challenge in the region, where cultural norms surrounding cattle ownership and dowries often complicate family dynamics. Despite efforts by religious leaders to de-escalate such conflicts, authorities say customary disputes frequently spiral into violence.
