The local authorities in Leer County in Unity State on Wednesday forcefully demolished at least 100 houses in the Leer Temporary Protection Area (TPA).
Stephen Taker Riak, the commissioner of Leer County, told Radio Tamazuj Thursday that the displaced people who were squatting in the TPA were allocated land for resettlement last year.
“We met in the first week of June and I told them that the houses in the TPA will be demolished on 28 June and they should go back to their homes because they all have houses within town,” he said.
The TPA was created in 2016 when Gen. Taban Deng Gai defected from Dr. Riek Machar and joined President Salva Kiir’s camp.
“As a government, we are not only targeting those from the former TPA but we will also allot land to those displaced by floods in places like Lual, Guet, and other places,” Taker added.
According to the county commissioner, humanitarian partners will still help the affected people.
“We have already reserved public spaces for schools, health centers, playgrounds, and even a police station,” Taker said. “I directed the security personnel to apprehend anyone who is against the demolitions of houses in the TPA.”
For his part, an eyewitness and representative of the TPA community, however, said they were forced to leave TPA and not given an alternative place to resettle.
“For the last two years, we have been demanding land from the government and there has been no response,” he said. “On Wednesday, they came and demolished the houses of 400 individuals. We are now outside and it is the rainy season.”
“UNMISS has to tell us what happen,” he added.