Authorities in Bor have issued a stern warning to local youth against any attempts to reopen the Langbaar Episcopal church of South Sudan, which was officially closed two years ago by the state government due to a leadership disputes.
The warning comes days after police arrested four individuals who were allegedly involved in the unauthorized reopening of the church during Easter celebrations last week.
Jonglei State Police Spokesperson, first Lieutenant Akech Mapiou, told The Nile Witness that the closure remains in effect.
He said anyone who defies the government’s directive would face legal consequences.
“So we are urging the public to refrain from this confusion that has been created. This is not how people from Bor solve issues and also remember that there are different nationalities in the state. This will make them to misunderstand or misquote us,” he stated.
“We don’t want escalation or any type of violence to be committed in the community, so I call up on the youth of Langbaar to stop this issue of reopening of the church. Our mandatory is the protection of the people,” he underscored.
He added that security forces have been deployed to guard the Langbaar church premises to ensure no further unauthorized activities occur there.
Lt. Akech emphasized that anyone found violating the directive will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
He further called for calm and adherence to the rule of law asthe matter continues to be handled at the national level.
