The detained Pentecostal church Pastor Malong Bak Malong has urged the Northern Bahr el Ghazal state government to grant his release after about two months at the Aweil Central Prison.

Malong was arrested in July over a land dispute.

State authorities claimed Malong had defied court orders to vacate the contested piece of land at Hai Toch in Aweil town where his church sits.

Malong who also heads the faith-based organization Aweil Pastors’ Fellowship (APF), speaking to Radio Tamazuj from Aweil Central prison on Tuesday, appealed to the state governor Tong Akeen Ngor to secure his release claiming he is innocent.

He maintained that the piece of land in question belongs to the church, citing that they obtained all necessary documentation 14 years ago. The religious leader further claimed that no proper legal procedures were followed before and after his arrest.

Civil society organizations in Aweil have also condemned the arrest and detention of the religious leader and called for his immediate release.

Aguer Kawac Akok, the Executive Director for Christian Restore Hope-South Sudan (CRH-SS) faulted the judiciary for being slow and not following the appropriate measures to resolve the case. 

“We condemn the arrest; no legal procedures have been taken. The person has been put in prison for so long without investigations. All CSOs have tried but they have refused to release him despite lack of legal documents, without evidence to keep him in prison for long. We condemn the arrest,” he added.

The Northern Bahr el Ghazal high court president Abraham Majur declined to comment saying no member of the court is allowed to speak to the media unless with permission from Juba or state headquarters.

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