By Jacob Onuha Nelson
The Central Equatoria State government, has yesterday suspended illegal forms of road demarcation in Lokwilili residential area of Juba County.
In a statement issued by the Central Equatoria State Governor’s Press Unit, the State Minister of Housing, Lands, and Public Utilities, David Morbe ordered the security organs in the area to stop road work.
“All security organs in the area should enforce the order halting road works” the statement partly read.
According to the statement, Morbe described the ongoing demarcation as an act to undermine the mandate and prerogative of the Ministry.
“Some groups proceeded to open roads and demolish houses outside the approved plan of the State Ministry of Housing, Lands, and Public Utilities,” it partly explained.
It emphasized that process of demarcating Lokwilili started in 2009, adding that the recent road construction is illegal because the State ministry in charge was not officially informed of the activity.
The statement further urged any residents who is forced to evacuate should appeal to the State Government and prompt the ministry intervention.
The statement stated that there was an unauthorized road construction in the area by perpetrators who allocated plots illegally.
Additionally, the statement stressed that the Ministry had suspended the road works to prevent the situation from escalating into violence, with residents fully briefed during the meeting.
Further more, the statement noted there were issues of informal settlement and land grabbing that had been a subject in Central Equatoria State.
Central Equatoria state cabinet expressed concern about the increasing incidents of land grabbing in Lokwili, Durupi, and certain areas of the Joppa residential area in Juba.
Land disputes had been a major concern since 2005 and South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
These disputes were particularly prevalent in Juba and other major towns, often leading to violent conflicts, deaths, and displacements.
Currently, the country relies on the pre-independence act, with each state having its own land policies, laws, and regulations.
Following independence in 2011, land policies were reviewed by parliament. However, in 2014, the Ministry of Lands withdrew the draft National Land Policy, citing its shortcomings and requesting further revisions.