Map of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. (Courtesy).

Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Council of Ministers passed a resolution on Friday to relocate hundreds of residents who have occupied airstrips and allocated plots for themselves in several counties.

The state cabinet meeting has found that civilians that were displaced by the devastating flooding from 2020-2022 are settled in several airstrips.

Acting Information Minister Dominic Kang Deng says the citizens are even surveying the airstrips and allocating plots to themselves.

Minister Kang said the illegally occupied airstrips are in Nyamlel, Malual-kon and Marial-bai.

“We discussed the occupied airstrips in all counties. One is Marial-bai airstrip, and in Aweil West are Nyamlel airstrip and Malual Kon airstrips and all the other airstrips in other counties occupied by the citizens, and they are surveying it,” Kang told state-owned television SSBC.

“That’s why the council of ministers has decided that all the airstrips should be taken back, and all the residents should evacuate immediately.”

“The cabinet has unanimously passed the resolution and it will be implemented by the minister of cabinet of affairs and the secretariat in order to realize this resolution on the ground.”

Acting Minister Kang said the state Minister of Trade has also presented a memo to relocate dozens of other households occupying a railway line.