By Yiep Joseph
Central Equatoria State government plans to abolish traditional courts that operate within the city without government approval.
State officials announced the decision during the ordinary security meeting on Tuesday at the state secretariat in Juba.
The weekly security meeting aims to assess the security situation and discuss ways to improve safety and stability in the state.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Jacob Aligo Lo-Lado, the Acting Minister of Information and Communication, stated that members of the security meeting acknowledged the existence of traditional courts operating without approval.
He added that such courts would be dissolved immediately due to their lack of legal authority to handle cases at any level.
Aligo urged the public to cease dealings with these courts operating in some parts of the country, particularly within the state.
“We discussed many issues, including the abolishment of traditional courts operating without government approval,” he said.
He directed the public to use the existing courts that have already been approved by the government.
“The state government is urging the public to only engage with the established Court C and Court B systems,” he stated.
The minister urged traditional chiefs involved in such activities to cease their operations, adding that the security committee would investigate and abolish the existing unauthorized courts. According to the minister, the meeting underscored the need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address the multifaceted security challenges facing Central Equatoria State.
Among other key issues discussed during the meeting were recurring concerns over land grabbing, particularly in areas like Muluburr in Ladu Payam, and land disputes in Nyamini, an outskirt of Juba.
The minister also noted that the security committee discussed possible ways to address illegal land occupation.
The meeting, chaired by state Deputy Chairperson Paulino Lukudu Obede, resolved to demolish buildings erected on illegally occupied land.
Minister Aligo revealed that the concerned institutions have been tasked with ensuring an end to land grabbing and illegal settlements in the state.
“There is intensive land grabbing in this area (Ladu Payam), and the security committee resolved to direct the Commissioner of Juba County, the State Security Advisor, the Minister of Lands, Housing and Public Utilities, and some community representatives to urgently establish modalities for demolishing structures erected on grabbed lands,” he said.
The minister added that the security committee emphasized the urgent need to allocate land to its rightful owners as a means of mitigating land disputes.
“The security committee directed the Commissioner to issue a local order suspending all activities in the disputed areas until an amicable solution is reached,” he stated.