President Salva Kiir has asked the Central Equatoria State government to give land to internally displaced persons in Juba.
Kiir made the directive through a statement read on the national television by Presidential Affairs Minister Dr. Marial Benjamin on Sunday evening.
This was during the end of a three-day ecumenical visit by Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland Dr. Ian Greenfields.
During their visit, they met with hundreds of internally displaced persons from the camps of Juba.
In his address to the nation, President Kiir said Juba is the country’s capital city and must accommodate people from across the country.
“I call on the internally displaced person, the people in the IDP camps to return to their homes and rebuild,” Kiir said.
However, he advised state leadership to follow the legal procedures in providing the land.
“I also call on the Central Equatoria state government to give land to those who do not have plots in Juba, especially those who are coming out of the IDPs camp. After all, Juba is the capital city and must accommodate our people as long as they are law abided by and follow due procedures and title deeds.”
Kiir also called on the IDPs to leave the camps and return to their houses.