July 10, 2021 — South Sudan Security Forces arrested Abraham Chol, a self-proclaimed prophet, on the eve of the 10th Independence Anniversary despite identifying himself as a fellow Dinka.
In attempt to resist arrest, the self-proclaimed prophet said he is not a “mwony juur”, a slang Dinka speaking nationalities used to refer to other [foreign] tribes and mostly Equatorians, but a “mwony jang”.
“I’m not an Equatorian, I’m a Dinka” Abraham Chol said.
Chol called on the security officers to go and arrest Riek Machar instead, saying unlike Riek Machar, he has killed no body.
“Riek Machar kills people and he is never arrested but you want to arrest me yet I haven’t killed any body?” Abraham Chol said while speaking in a mixed of Arabic and Dinka.
The self-proclaimed prophet was being arrested by Dinka-speaking men in security uniform for making a Facebook Live broadcast that President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar would lose power on July 9th.
Chol tried to demand his rights saying the security forces could not have broken into his house to arrest him without a warrant.
The controversial man of God was found sleeping half-naked but as soon as the security forces advanced on him, he started shouting “Salva Kiir Must Go, Salva Kiir Must Go for real”.
Eventually, the self-proclaimed prophet gave in and walked to prison with the security forces.
The last time he was arrested in April 2020, Chol protested the arrest by undressing himself but that did not stop the security forces from arresting him. He was carried naked to the cell where he spent a couple days before getting released.
Although harmless, Chol is the most arrested religious leader in South Sudan. He has had grudges with senior officials and famously with Gen. Paul Malong and now with President Salva Kiir.
Chol’s arrest came less than 24 hours after president Kiir talked about his death or exit from power which he thinks would be a disaster for the country.
Also read: Kiir says if he dies the country will be in chaos, thinks he better not die!
