The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Juba’s Protection of Civilians (POC) site on the Juba-Yei road want to be allocated land in Central Equatoria State, after nearly a decade of displacement.
During a visit by the Deputy Governor on Friday, the IDPs urged the authorities to allocate land to all the displaced individuals, emphasizing that all South Sudanese have the right to own land in the capital.
An IDP and a member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), Peter Charlman, claimed that former Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Anthony Adil was directed by President Salva Kiir to ensure the IDPs at the UNMISS site were allocated some land.
“Our being here is temporary. Before President Kiir relieved former governor Emmanuel Anthony Adil, he told him to ensure people in the UNMISS POCs are allotted some land,” Charlam said.
The lawmaker appealed to the state government to allocate the land to the IDPS to relieve them the burden of residing in the POC sites.
“People are saying this place has its owners, but the question is; where have these people been all this while?” he appealed.
His sentiments were echoed by Bief Ruot Banjang, another IDP, who said during the tenure of Adil, a committee was formed to ensure people in the IDP camps did not spend much time in the POCs.
Banjang said the committee comprised individuals from the state government and some representatives from the POCs, with an aim of coordinating with the state ministry of Land, Housing and Public Utilities.
“The intention of the president was that people don’t stay long in the POCs. The governor formed committee under the leadership of the state minister of Land, Fredrick Laku,” he said.
Banjang claimed that about 11,000 households were registered to be allocated some plots. However, the process stalled after the removal of Governor Adil.
The Juba POC currently shelters approximately 38,000 IDPs, primarily from Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states.
Juba County Commissioner Emmanuel Ezbon Tete welcomed the IDPs call, but advised them to abide by the laws of Central Equatoria State.
Tete discouraged the IDP chiefs’ from land grabbing, noting that his administration had several times discovered that chiefs had engaged in illegal land demarcation.
“You must abide by the laws of Central Equatoria State. I want to say no one should go out and start demarcating land. Some of you (chiefs) have gone to Lologo and Jebel Dinka to illegally demarcate land,” he said.
“If you’re going to be allocated land, we’re not going to allocate you all in one place. Some can be allocated on Yei road, others on Terekeka road,” he said.
The County Commissioner also advised the IDPs to consider coming out of the POCs, especially where there was relative peace.