Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Governor of Central Equatoria State, Rabi Mujung Emmanuel, has issued a stern warning to individuals and groups illegally occupying public land in Juba and other parts of the state, saying his administration will take decisive action to reclaim the spaces.
The warning came following an ordinary meeting of the State Security Committee held on Tuesday at Munuki Block, where the issue of land grabbing and the misuse of public spaces topped the agenda.
According to a statement from the governor’s press unit, the meeting, chaired by Governor Mujung, was attended by senior state and local government officials who discussed strategies to restore public order and recover misappropriated land.
“H.E. Lt. Gen. Rabi Mujung Emmanuel, Governor of Central Equatoria State, on Wednesday, chaired an ordinary meeting of the State Security Committee that discussed the fate of public spaces in Juba reportedly grabbed by individuals,” the statement partly reads.
Speaking after the meeting, Leon Abe Brown, Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies, said the committee passed several key resolutions aimed at reclaiming encroached land and ending the illegal occupation of cemetery plots that have been converted into residential areas.
“Some cemeteries have turned into residential zones. We need findings on who lives there and why, to guide the way forward,” Abe said, revealing that both the Juba County Commissioner and the Mayor of Juba City have been directed to submit detailed reports identifying the occupied sites.
The committee also examined the operations of market associations, including the Bodaboda Association, which have been accused of overlapping with local government functions. Abe urged the public to cooperate with security agencies as the government moves to enforce law and order.
Land grabbing has long been a thorny issue in Central Equatoria State, particularly in Mangalla, Luri, Rajaf, and Lado Payams, where unauthorized land sales and illegal construction are rampant. In April 2025, David Morbe Aquilino, Minister of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities, cautioned the public against purchasing land from unauthorized individuals, noting that many land grabbers falsely claim to have state approval.
Governor Mujung’s renewed stance adds momentum to years of unfulfilled promises to reclaim public spaces. His predecessors, including former Governor Emmanuel Adil and former Juba City Mayor Michael Lado Allah-Jabu, previously formed committees to demolish illegal structures and recover playgrounds, but those efforts largely stalled.
In 2022, then-Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Albino Bol Dhieu vowed to reclaim all government-stolen sports fields, warning that no one—including senior officials or military generals—would be spared. However, the plan never materialized.
Governor Mujung’s latest directive signals a possible shift from rhetoric to enforcement, as his administration seeks to restore Juba’s public spaces to their intended use and uphold the rule of law across Central Equatoria State.
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