Members of the South Sudan Land Commission and Land Taskforce launched the land registry in Juba. April 15, 2024. (Photo/Nyathong William).

The Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development is establishing a land registry as it prepares to take over the role of documenting property rights from the judiciary.

Robert Ladu Loki, who doubles as the head the South Sudan Land Commission and the taskforce on land policy, said the current land policy pending legislation, has struck out a provision inherited from Sudan which mandated the judiciary to conduct land registry.

According to Loki, the Sudan policy has contributed to land-related conflicts in the country.

He said the draft policy in line with the 2018 peace agreement called for establishment of an independent body.

“You cannot be the executive at the same time a judicator. It bring a lot of conflicts, but through this land policy, it is not going to be there no more,” he said during a workshop on the land policy in Juba.

“The revitalized peace agreement and the land policy called for an independent body – our registrar for the land, and of cause, we have come right now.”

“But we in the ministry, are preparing the ground and we are establishing within the ministry right now the land registrar to digitalize land registrar system within the ministry that will take over the role.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Loki confirmed that the Ministry has formed a unit that is responsible for assisting the government in accomplishing the implementation of the Land Policy.

The draft Land Policy, which stipulates that land belongs to the people of South Sudan, was developed to establish a sustainable framework for allocating and protecting collective and individual land rights for all the people of South Sudan.

The policy articulates processes for access and ownership, control, administration, use and sustainable management of land to meet core national governance and development objectives.