By Bida Elly David
Central Equatoria State governor has issued a gubernatorial order stopping demarcation, allotment, and showing of plots in five payams of Juba County.
Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony’s order came in response to continuous cases of land grabbing registered by the state authority in the five payams.
According to information from governor’s office, demarcation and allotment exercise will commence until land grabbing saga is mitigated.
The governor said that land grabbing issue has contributed to insecurity in the state as people use force to acquire plots, especially in Juba.
“Following the alarming status of land grabbing in the Payams and Bomas of Juba County, the top authority hereby directs for the immediate stoppage of demarcation, allotment, survey, and showing of plots in the restive Payams and Bomas until further notice as herein,” the statement partly reads.
The five payams consist of Luri, Lado, Mangalla, Rejaf, and Kondokoro, along with their bomas.
“They are Luri Payam (Kworijik-Konga Na Muntau Boma), Lado Payam (Molobur-Bori Boma), Mangalla Payam (Bilinyang Boma), Rejaf Payam (Jebel Amianin), and Kondokoro Payam,” it highlighted.
The gubernatorial directives come into effect immediately from the date of their declaration.
“This Gubernatorial Order comes into effect today, Thursday, August 24, 2023, with immediate restrictions and implementation,” the order read.
The governor then directed the Juba County Commissioner and the state security organs to ensure the immediate effectiveness of the order to avoid further chaos.
I am immediately directing the authorities of Juba County and all the security apparatus of Juba County to take swift actions to implement this Executive Order,’’ Adil directed.
“Despite the repeated orders concerning land grabbing in the above-mentioned payams, illegal mobilization never subsided; rather, killings remained trending,’’ an anonymous source said.
According to police report, at least 45 people were arrested in Central Equatoria State, last year, over allegations of land grabbing.
Perpetrators of land grabbing are mostly the wealthy against the poor, who take advantage of week justice system of the country.