Two staff members of the Juba City Council were briefly detained by security officers on Tuesday over a land wrangle between the Central Equatoria state government and Kush International Church.

Kush International Church is headed by a self-appointed Prophet, Abraham Chol.

He conducts the church services from ‘Simba playground’ in Juba.

The Central Equatoria state government wants the church out of the place.

The state Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports says the playground is a property of the state government.

However, Abraham Chol told Eye Radio that he was given permission by the Presidential guards to conduct his church sermons in the area.

“The playground belongs to the military people – that is what I heard from them,” he said. “My mission is just to come and preach to those military people on that playground.”

Staff members of the City Council were arrested while trying to demolish the structures of the church on Tuesday.

“There is nothing called a place for Presidential Guards and so on. Legally, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports owns the football ground,” David Lokonga, CES Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, told Eye Radio.

David Lokonga said the order to demolish the structure of the church from Simba Playground is still valid.