Beaten ECSS priests in Wau. (-)

The Episcopal Church in Western Bahr el Ghazal State has condemned the arrest and torture of its evangelical pastors allegedly by SPLA-IO forces in Wath-Lelo Payam of Jur River County on Friday.

Reverend Arkangelo Unango, the Archdeacon of Kuajiena Archdeaconry, said 17 pastors who were on a preaching mission in Wath-Lelo and nearby areas were arrested on orders of a military commander there.

Unango, who spoke to the media at the ECSS compound in the state capital, claims that the opposition forces have closed down some churches and mistreated believers.

According to him, three pastors who were beaten are in critical condition and receiving treatment in Wau.

The religious leader is calling on the state government and the military leadership to investigate the incident.

“Some churches in our areas are suffering a lot from the hands of the SPLA-IO soldiers,” he said.

“These problems have been going on, and currently, many of our preachers that we sent to preach the gospel around were beaten; they were tortured, and some of them have wounds, and some are still suffering up to now.”

“This happened within Wath-Lelo, where they were tortured. In Wath-Lelo, we have 29 churches, and these 29 churches are closed because the commander in charge of the army ordered their closure.”

According to him, three of the 17 pastors who went on the mission were mostly targeted when the forces stormed the preaching center and beat the congregation.

“They started beating everyone who was there, but they targeted mostly preachers who were on the mission. We are urging the authorities to look into this problem because we, as the church, are there to preach the gospel of Christ to the people so that they change their lives, as said in the Bible.”

Andrea Akuar, one of the pastors who sustained injuries in the incident, said they were severely beaten before being taken to an army barrack where they were tortured by a general.

“We were in the church just preaching the gospel; we saw the army led by Major General Tawal Tawal, who is in charge of Wath-Lelo barrack, coming with his soldiers and just beating us in the church.”

“All of us were taken into the barrack before yesterday; some of us now have not arrived, and only that we, the three pastors, arrived in Wau for treatment, and we are suffering.”

“When the commander took us to the barrack, he told us that we dislike you, the Christians of ECS, preaching the word of God in Wath-Lelo because Wath-Lelo is our home, and this is what he told us yesterday.”

When contacted for comment, SPLM-IO Secretary General in Western Bahr El Ghazal said neither him nor the state government is aware of the incident.

Edmond John said he has spoken to the area commander, who denied receiving any report about such an incident, although he added that they are looking into the matter.

“I’m in communication with the area commander all the time, but there is no such information talking about the arrest of the church leaders,” he said.

“I never received it so far, so up to now I have no information. But I will keep contacting them in the area to see what happened there, and if there is anything, I will let you know.”