Three civilians on Monday accused a top army general of forcefully demolishing their homes and arresting them in Jebel Akathar near Girinti military barracks in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
According to Justin Bol Athian, he, Mawein Wol Dor, and Ngor Major Aleu were forced out of their homes on Monday morning after Northwest Area Commander, Major General Ring Akuei Ring, ordered the army to destroy houses around the military base and arrest any individuals resisting the orders.
The affected people said the area was allotted to them by the ministry of physical infrastructure in 2017 and that they were surprised that their homes were demolished by the army.
“What happened to me yesterday (Monday), my house has been destroyed by Major General Ring Akuei, the Northwest commander. The reason I was also detained is unknown because I have my legal documents,” Athian said. “I was detained without a legal document that could arrest me.”
Athian said before he was arrested, the army told him to vacate his home.
“The commander of the sector told me that the place belongs to the sector and I said that this area has survived since and I asked him why they arrested me and yet the place was surveyed officially,” Athian said. “Another step that I want to take now is to go to the court because the court is the only solution here.”
Arkangelo Majur Achuil, another resident in the area of Jebel Akathar, said it was sad that residents were arrested.
“What we know is that these people have their official land documents since 2017. It is now 4 years with documents in their hands. These documents were given by the ministry of lands and that shows these people have a right to own these lands,” Achuil said.
Major General Ring Akeui denied any involvement in allocating military land to the civilians and said he first contacted the director of the Lands in the ministry of physical infrastructure about civilians occupying their land allotted to the military but the ministry said it has not issued any land near the military base to the civilians.
“This place is not for civilians, such a place is not for them. They have their place. Why did they come here to make noises, they came and built these houses at night and in the morning we saw houses there. This is not the work of ordinary civilians, there are big people behind this,” Ring said.
In the response, the director for survey in the ministry of housing, lands, and utilities in the state, Joseph Juma Musa, said that a committee has been formed by the council of ministers which is expected to pay a visit to the area on Friday.
“On the issue of the dispute between the military area and residents of Block 29 Jebel Akathar 3rd class, a committee was formed by the council of ministers and the timetable for the site visit is scheduled to be on 23 April, then the committee formed is going to be on the ground to settle the dispute between the two parties,” Juma said.