Muslim Mosque Tragedy Sends Shockwaves Through South Sudan
South Sudan Islamic Council Chairperson Dr. Abdallah Barag in the middle (Photo: John Agok)
By John Agok
The South Sudan Islamic Council experienced a tragic incident on Friday evening in Juba that sent shockwaves through the community.
The Muslim worshipper, Mr. Muhamed El Obed, originally from Sudan, got into a dispute with his sheikh, Musa Abakar from South Sudan. El Obed then left to go home and returned with a machete, attacking Abakar and injuring another fellow Muslim, Muhamed Bakbikir, at the Nimirtalata mosqat the mosque.
During a press conference on Sunday called by Islamic Council Chairperson Dr. Abdallah Barag, the incident was described as an isolated crime committed by a Muslim attendee at the mosque.
“We want to inform the public that this is an unfortunate incident and should be treated as an individual act not motivated by any negative forces,” Abdallah told the press. The suspect, Mr. El Obed from Sudan, is currently in police custody pending investigation and court proceedings.
Barag revealed that the outcome of the investigation would determine if the accused received any support from malevolent forces within or outside the country. “We are awaiting the results of the police investigation to determine if there were any outside forces that influenced the accused individual’s actions. I have confidence in our security forces that they will not allow individuals to threaten and incite violence within our faith community as we are a secular nation,” he added.
Since 2020, South Sudan’s religious community has been embroiled in violence, starting with Archbishop and Primate of the South Sudan Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Dr. Justin Arama Badi, issuing a decree to defrock Bishop Akurdi in Bor, Jonglei state.
Arama stated that some politicians from Jonglei state were interfering in church affairs and inciting youth to cause chaos. “Certain senior politicians from Jonglei are misleading innocent citizens to partake in evil acts against the Church,” he revealed. This statement came after an assassination attempt on the Bishop on January 22nd by youths loyal to the defrocked Bishop Akurdi in Bor, Jonglei, resulting in the death of 30 individuals.
In 2021, a South Sudanese Catholic priest was convicted of orchestrating the shooting of Bishop Caelessare in both legs on April 26, 2021, after arriving in Rumbek from the Malakal Diocese since his entry into the country in 2005.
South Sudan, a nation where the majority of the population practices Christianity, gained independence from predominantly Muslim Sudan in 2011.
About the writer:
John Agok started working as a senior reporter for Juba Monitor, a daily English newspaper in Juba. He freelanced in 2020 and was an associate editor for English news at community radio stations from 2017 to 2019. Agok’s reporting focused on sports, climate, economics, politics, and social issues.
