Residents of Hai Salaam neighborhood in Bor Town of South Sudan’s Jonglei State are calling on the state government to revoke a decision sanctioning the demolition of their homes.

Some residents who spoke to Radio Tamazuj on condition of anonymity told Radio Tamazuj that the state government has started demolishing houses they have occupied since 2008 saying they have not been compensated or allotted space to resettle.

However, speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, Bor Town Mayor James Gai, said the residents were notified of the demolition of structures built on road reserve.

“They know that they were building their houses on the roads. But we also notified them several times about demolition so government will not support them financially,” he said.

“We are working with county authorities in Makwach for their resettlement. So they must be patient since that may just take one month,” he added.

The municipal official said 199 families will be affected by the ongoing demolition exercise.