Bulldozers clearing land at Luri. (Photo credit: Radio Tamabzuj.)

Some residents of Kabu in Luri Payam of Juba County, who were displaced by a demolition exercise last week, have complained of underground deals to evict them despite having plot tokens.

The locals said they obtained the land documents from the host community in 2009 and 2010.

But the government of Juba County termed the survey as illegal and ordered for the eviction of the settlers and demolition of their houses.

The angry residents described the move as “corruption” and called on the state authorities to intervene.

“This plot the token was given to us by the community. But they took Block D from us, we did not get it for free. We paid money,” said Taban of those affected by the eviction.

“They brought the tokens to us, and I never felt that this place will be taken from me because I have been given the number in my hand and registered on my door. And I have a trust they will not sell it to anyone,” he added.

Last week, local chiefs allegedly backed by armed youth engaged in gun battle with police in the area, leading to the wounding of three officers.

According to the Spokesperson of the national police, Major General Daniel Justin, the local residents allegedly engaged in unauthorized land survey and distribution of tokens in Kabu.

General Justin after Juba Commissioner Charles Joseph Wani ordered the demolition of their clients houses, said residents of the area resisted the order and fought with the police guarding engineers driving bulldozers and trailers.

Conflicts related to land grabbing and unlawful allotment of land are frequently reported in the capital, Juba.

The clashes which turn deadly sometimes, involve security forces and land-grabbers, rival land-grabbers and even members of the military in Juba’s suburbs.

In another related incident two weeks ago, Juba County authorities told Eye Radio that two army officers were arrested for illegally printing and selling fake land tokens to the public.

Also four months ago when residents of Jondoru area, West of Juba clashed with land grabbers resulting in score injuries.

“My question goes to the Ministry of Housing, because it’s the mother to all demarcation, but we found that the ministry of housing is the mother to corruption in South Sudan,” frustrated Taban added further.

Another displaced settler, who Eye Radio prefers to name only as Timond said he was evicted despite being the first to acquire land from the local chiefs.

“When I went to do the process I found they give it to another person. And I was the first person to build a house with iron-sheet in 2009, so this is all the corruption,” he said.

Reacting to the concerns, the Commissioner of Juba County described the angry suburbans as “criminals.”

“These are criminals, they shoot people, three people, government officials and they try to do illegal land demarcation on the area claiming the land without proper documentation,” said Commissioner Wani.

“The land is the property that can be managed by the government not an individual person.”

In November last year, President Kiir suspended any land demarcation in the city and formed a 12-member committee tasked to investigate the rampant land grabbing incidents around Juba city.

This is until it carries out an assessment on informal settlements and land grabbing in Juba City and Juba County, including estimates of populations, household numbers, and other related demographic data as ordered by the president.

The outcome of the committee assessment was never heard of after It’s not clear how far the committee has reached with the assessment exercise