Northern Bahr el Ghazal police have arrested Pentecostal Church pastor, Malong Bak Malong in connection with a disputed piece of land.

Akech Tong Lual, the pastor’s wife, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday her husband was arrested in Aweil last week. She said a local court ordered the demolition of the church building on the disputed land.

Amel Akeen, a church member, wondered why there is a dispute over the piece of land occupied by the Pentecostal Church for a long time.

For his part, Police Commissioner Machiek Achol Kueth said the Pentecostal Church pastor was arrested on court orders after his failure to vacate the contested piece of land at Hai Toch in the town of Aweil.

He said it was the final verdict against the pastor and he will remain in jail until he accepts the orders for evacuation from the land.

In 2019, Pastor Malong was arrested alongside 14 church members for protesting against a government decision to demolish a church building over a land row. He was sentenced to six months in jail, but released on the orders of former state authorities.