The bishops of the Central Equatoria province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan have released a statement accusing the South Sudanese People’s Defense Force of looting churches and arresting and torturing clergy in Central Equatoria State.
On 26 August 2023 the Sudan Tribune reported the bishops of the internal province had released a statement accusing soldiers of arresting clergy in Yei River County and looting churches and torturing civilians in the Nyori and Mongo archdeaconries over the past three days.
“We the bishops, the clergies and the entire Christians of central Equatoria internal province, would like to express our deepest sadness on attacks, torture, looting of the Christians and arrest of the clergy of the Episcopal church of South Sudan by mobile force of Sudan People’s defense forces in Nyori and Mongo payams of Yei River County of Central Equatoria State,” the statement read.
The bishops asked the government to conduct an inquiry and to punish those responsible for their crimes.
An army spokesman told the Sudan Tribune he had no knowledge of the incident, noting it was not army policy to loot, arrest and torture civilians. Major General Lul Raui Koang said the army would investigate the allegations.
