Some of suspected land grabbers apprehended by Juba County Authorities on Friday, March 1, 2024 - Courtesy

Molubur village chief in Lado Payam of Juba County has pleaded with the government to save the community from land grabbers.

Franco Joseph Wousang’s appeal came after armed men stormed his residence on Thursday, March 7, 2024, and beat his family before demolishing his house.

He called on the government to maintain law and order after armed men stormed his residence and beat his family before demolishing his house.

Chief Joseph said he wants the perpetrators held to account for the mistreatment and destruction of his property.

The incident occurred a week after Juba County authorities apprehended 40 suspected land grabbers, including military officers in the area.

“We fenced this place, and we did everything to finish it, but on the second day, we sent our youth to bring the barbed wire, and those land grabbers came in big numbers and attacked those youth,” he said.

“They took all the 40 pieces of the wire. The next day, we resumed our work, and they found our boys and again they kicked them away with guns, and after some time they came in a black car and chased my boys away.”

According to Chief Wousang, the attackers are degrading the residents and accusing them of being supporters of Thomas Cirilo of the National Salvation Front.

“This land belongs to our grandfathers, and we were born here, and our grandfathers were buried here. Because they have guns, whenever we talked, they always accuse us that we belong to Thomas,” he said.

“If we say anything, they always refer us to General Thomas Cirilo. We know that he went on his way, and we don’t have any relation with him, and this is what is affecting us here as Lado Payam people.”

William Patrick Sawka, an elder of Molubur village says he has witnessed the destruction of homes by attackers in the area.

“Those people came at night for the second time with two cows and they slaughtered and ate them and drank alcohol and after that, they came and attacked the area with shooting of guns.”

“Children and women ran toward the riverside and they burnt the house of the chief with all the food and clothes, and also burnt the generator of water for agriculture in the area.”

Juba County authorities were not immediately available for comment on the matter.