By Alan Clement
Chiefs of Jebel Lado community in Juba County have raised alarm over what they describe as widespread land grabbing, killings, and sexual violence in their ancestral land.
The concerns were raised in parliament during the Assembly’s 13th ordinary sitting on Monday, September 8th, 2025, when member of parliament, Festo Lemi Songinda, representing Juba County under the SPLM party, presented a letter signed by three Lado chiefs addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, Right Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba.
According to Songinda, the letter highlighted several alarming issues affecting community, including land grabbing by armed individuals and politicians, forced displacement, sexual violence, and killings.
“Armed men in uniform and some politicians are continuously grabbing their ancestral land and building houses there,” Songinda said while reading parts of the letter.
“These land grabbers are now burning their houses, and the people are now displaced,” he continued.
According to Songinda, the letter also detailed grave allegations of sexual violence, including murder.
“These land grabbers have so far raped three young girls. One of the girls has been raped to death,” Songinda told the Assembly.
“So far, ten people have been killed; seven men and three women. The chiefs are appealing for immediate help from the Speaker of this Assembly,” he stressed.
In response, TNLA Speaker Right Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba acknowledged receipt of the letter and said it had been reviewed by the Assembly’s legal department.
“Our finding is that this issue cannot be addressed by the parliament. There are different levels of government where the case can be addressed, including the security sector,” She stated
She added that she had responded to the chiefs with guidance on how to proceed with the matter through appropriate channels.
“Because it includes killing people, it includes rape [and] some are criminal cases, which parliament cannot really address,” she said.
The petition highlights mounting concerns over insecurity and land disputes in parts of Central Equatoria.
The Assembly’s discussion highlights the limits of parliamentary intervention in criminal and security matters, even as communities continue to seek justice and protection from escalating violence.