The Commissioner of Juba in Central Equatoria State appeals to the Chief of Defense Force to take action against senior army generals who are grabbing lands in the county.

Charles Joseph Wani accuses some senior generals and top government officials of grabbing public lands in Mangala, Rejaf Luri and Molubur.

He called on Defense Chief General Santino Deng Wol to discipline individual generals who were involved in the illegal land allocations in the area.

Commissioner Wani also calls the Inspector General of the police to make sure that land grabbers are taken to the prison.

“I want to call the Chief of Defense Force to discipline individual generals who are involved in the issue of the lands to stop them because this work of lands is an organized work together with some specific leaders in the country,” said Wani.

“I am also appealing to the new IGP that criminals will be arrested and taken to the police stations, and they will be released tomorrow and next tomorrow. This shows that land-grabbing is well-organized with some personnel working in the government,” he said.

“Let the Attorney General do their work to make sure that these criminals are arrested and taken to prison and let the law take its cost.”

Commissioner Wani says the occurrence of land grabbing is seriously damaging the reputation of the army and national government.

“There are generals in this phenomenon of land grabbing, and this is not a lie. I want to say clearly to the army leadership that some people are using their power to grab the lands of the citizens,”  Commissioner Wani said.

“I condemned this act because this phenomenon of the land grabbing is damaging the image and reputation of the government because it showing to the other people that criminals are stronger than the government,” he said.

“Criminals are working under the cover of the other leaders. I have seen this act in Mangala, and the same in Rejaf and Luri and today in Molubur.”

Early last year, Central Equatoria State governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony said land grabbing was one of the major security concerns facing Juba and the surrounding areas.

In 2021, President Salva Kiir constituted a 12-member committee tasked to investigate the Garbo village incident and address the issue of rampant land grabbing around Juba City.

But there has been no end to land-grabbing activities in the county.