Leadership of Dinka church express regret over violent protest inside church
May 30, 2016 (JUBA) – The leadership of the Emmanuel Jieng [Dinka] Parish has released a statement, saying it regretted the violent protest which occurred inside their church in the capital, Juba on Sunday.
They also said the church leadership had convinced the top priest in charge who announced he was resigning over the embarrassing situation caused by Dinka youth protesters, to reconsider his decision and continue leading the church.
The tribally-named Emmanuel Jieng Parish is a branch of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan with Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul as its overall leader in the country.
On Sunday, several protesters were arrested inside the church by security personnel after staging a protest against the church leadership for inviting the First Vice President, Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer, to the ethnic Dinka church service on 22 May, where he preached the need for peace, reconciliation and forgiveness among the people.
Machar also urged the congregation to support the implementation of the peace agreement he signed with President Salva Kiir to end the 21 months of the civil war.
Since his arrival in Juba on 27 April, Machar visited different churches on Sundays and Saturday with different congregations of different tribes, repeating the same message of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.
However, his appearance on Sunday, 22 May, in the ethnic Dinka church, which is predominantly of Dinka Bor members from Jonglei state, angered some members of the congregation who walked out in protest, accusing the church leadership of inviting an enemy.
On Sunday, 29 May, a week later, protesters, mainly young people, allegedly incited by politicians inside the church, almost interrupted the church service and demanded that the top church priest who invited Machar last week resigned.
The Dinka Bor youth who stormed the church carried banners of pictures and names of their three senior dead army Generals who were killed in action between 2013 and 2014 while commanding government troops against Machar’s opposition forces.
The Emmanuel Jieng Parish’s top priest, Reverend Joseph Maker Achiek, after witnessing the chaotic situation, decided to resign, which he announced immediately on Sunday.
Also Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth, a respected veteran priest who was also in the attendance and witnessed the chaotic scene, was seen crying while conducting a closing prayer in the church.
The statement released by the church on Sunday evening, however said the church’s top priest, Pastor Achuek, will continue to lead the Emmanuel Jieng Parish, describing the protesters who demanded his resignation as not members of the church.
“The Parochial Church Council regrets over the row initiated by non-congregants during the church service at Emmanuel on Sunday, the 29/05/2016. The row-group were dressed in black T-shirts holding pictures of Late Generals Abraham Jongroor Deng and Kuol Malith Reech and also indicated the name of Ajak Yen who were killed in the recent war. Their intention was to provoke the church into chaos, which did not happen,” partly reads the press statement signed by Solomon Manyang Jok, the church secretary.
“The group claimed to be disappointed by the visit of the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar Teny last Sunday, the 22nd May 2016, accusing the church to have allowed him to pray and addressed the congregation, because they termed the church to be tribal while the church is the body of Christ where everybody has right to exercise his Christian rites,” the statement further reads.
He said the government’s law enforcement personnel intervened and apprehended the protesters, but added that the church administration sent a delegation to the security organ to release them later.
“As a result of the row, the Parish Priest, Rev. Joseph Maker Achiek was emotionally moved and uttered his resignation, which the Council termed as slippery of tongue. Based on this, the Church Council called the Parish Priest immediately to withdraw his statement, which he did,” he said.
“We as a church do urge our members and the community at large to remain calm and show away from this barbaric act of this group and click into the spirit of love, harmony and unity as children of God,” the statement added.
(ST)