By Yiep Joseph
Central Equatoria State (CES) government has issued a stern warning to land grabbers and urged the public to cease illegal acquisition of land.
Addressing journalists today (Friday), David Morbe Aquilino, the CES Minister of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities, stated that authorities have become aware that some individuals (land grabbers) continue to deceive the public.
The Minister explained that land grabbers have been luring the public into buying land under the false pretense that the state government authorized them.
He revealed that land grabbing continues to be rampant in several payams (districts) of Juba County, including Mangalla, Luri, Rajaf, and Lado.
The Minister informed the public to stop buying land in these areas, emphasizing that neither the Ministry nor the CES government has authorized any demarcation in those areas, contrary to the claims made by land grabbers.
“I would like to inform the public, on behalf of the Ministry, about the exact situation on the ground. There are allegations suggesting that the Ministry of Housing in Central Equatoria State is involved in the activities currently taking place. We want to clearly state that the Ministry of Housing and the Central Equatoria State government are not part of these activities happening in those areas,” he explained.
“I want to make it clear that we are not demarcating any land in those areas,” he warned.
The Ministry emphasized its and the land committee’s commitment to ensuring that cases of land grabbing are dealt with appropriately.
Minister Morbe stated that land grabbers continue to issue fake documents, deceiving the public by claiming they have been granted authority by the CES government.
The Ministry urged the public to disregard any land grabbers claiming they have been authorized to allocate land to the public.
“Do not listen to land grabbers; they will deceive you with fake documents, falsely claiming that we are part of their operations or have given them the power to allocate or sell land,” he warned.
“We want to inform the public that the CES government and the Ministry of Land and Housing are not involved in the activities taking place in those areas,” he added.
“There are land grabbers giving land to people, falsely claiming they were sent to allocate it. Please do not buy from them, and we are warning them to stop such practices,” he reiterated.
He mentioned that South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has granted the land committee the authority to legally combat land grabbing.
Last week, the National High-Level Land Committee adopted key resolutions aimed at intensifying efforts to resolve land-related disputes in Juba and surrounding areas.
The committee, formed in 2021 by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to address escalating land issues such as grabbing and illegal settlements, held a meeting to restore lawful land management practices.
The meeting was chaired by the National Minister of Land, Housing, and Urban Development, Michael Chiengjiak, and co-chaired by the Central Equatoria State Governor, Gen. Augustino Jadalla Kamilo Wani. It also included senior officials and security representatives.
Speaking to the press, Central Equatoria State Minister of Housing, Lands, and Public Utilities, David Morbe, reaffirmed the committee’s strong commitment.
Morbe urged citizens with verified land ownership documents to be patient, assuring them that the government is actively working to secure and protect their legitimate claims.
“I want to make it unequivocally clear that my initial Ministerial Order concerning the demarcation or re-demarcation of areas previously surveyed by the Ministry remains in full force. No further demarcations will be permitted in those zones,” Morbe stated.
“Furthermore, the unauthorized use of private Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for land grabbing purposes is strictly prohibited. The Ministry retains exclusive authority over GPS usage, and any individual intending to utilize it must follow official procedures. This meeting marks a critical step in our resolve to uphold the rule of law and stamp out illegal land acquisition.”
Emmanuel Tete Ezbon, the Commissioner of Juba County, highlighted the committee’s resolutions to engage directly with local stakeholders, including community leaders, chiefs, intellectuals, and Members of Parliament, to collaboratively develop lasting solutions to land conflicts.