Charles Joseph Wani, the Commissioner of Juba County - courtesy

The Commissioner of Juba County has described the ongoing land dispute between the youth and some soldiers in Kor-Wolyang near Giada military barrack in Juba, as the work of organized crime.

This is according to the Commissioner of Juba County, Charles Joseph Wani.

The area Chief told Eye Radio yesterday that tension was high between youth and some soldiers in Kor-Wolyang over land dispute.

Chief Marino Pitia called on the state government and Juba County commissioner to intervene.

He says the area of Kor-Wolyang in Kasire was demarcated in 2007.

Chief Pitia added that the boundary between the place allotted to the army and the civilians is clear.

Pitia says the army has been allotted east of the Kor-Wolyang and civilians to the west of Kor-Wolyang.

The Commissioner of Juba County termed the ongoing land dispute between the youth and some soldiers in Kor-Wolyang as the work of organized crime.

“I don’t call it land grabbing, I term it criminal activity, because most of the time it’s the community lands that are being taken by land grabbers,” Commissioner Wani said.

“What is happening in Kor-Wolyang, it’s the land that belongs to individuals that is being forcefully taken by organized criminals.”

He promised that the authorities in Juba will stop the land-related crimes in Kor-Wolyang.

“We have talked with Sector-One, and we have also spoken to the army, and even yesterday, since I was outside Juba, I sent people to Central Equatoria State Police, to intervene and rescue the situation.”

Commissioner Wani added that the government is addressing land issues in Juba through the committee appointed by President Salva Kiir.

“There is a committee that has been formed by the President of the Republic of South Sudan to look into the matter of land grabbing in the whole of Juba County and the City Council as well,” Wani said.

For his part, the spokesperson of the SSPDF, Major General Lul Ruai Koang says he is not informed about the land dispute in Kor-Wolyang near Giada military barrack.

However, Gen. Lul pointed out that the boundary of the military land is clearly demarcated at the perimeter wall of Giada military barrack.

“What I knew was when the perimeter wall was erected it put a clear line between the military barracks and the land that is being owned by civilians,” Gen. Lul said.

“Even within our perimeter wall, we had fenced in some civilian houses which had encroached into the military land. Anything outside the perimeter of that fence I do not know who owns it.”