Land grabbers some of whom are armed gather under a tree at Garbu while other roam the area|Courtesy|Resident

A group of land grabbers – some of whom are allegedly armed are forcefully occupying land, attacking residents, and destroying property in Garbu-Wurnyako boma along the Juba–Bor road before reaching Mogiri, according to the Executive Director of Mangala Payam in Juba County.

Juma Marcelino. said he discovered the aftermath of the violence during an informal visit, describing residents who were “beaten and chased out of their houses.”

He added that the alleged land grabbers have erected illegal structures in gardens along the Nile River, destroying crops and homes belonging to villagers.

“Honestly there has been some issues here in Garbur, there is interference of land grabbers in people places across the gardens. They have destabilized the security of those areas. The land grabbers are some groups of people who came from Bor, they entered the areas cutting down mango and guava trees, and building houses,” he said.

“We found that the people who are living there are being beaten and chased out of their houses, the security has worsen in those areas. I personally went to those places,  I went there dressed informally and found the citizens being beaten and chased out of their houses, and some of their crop farms have been destroyed and removed by land grabbers, as well as their house.”

Marcelino warned that the security situation in the affected areas has worsened and said the local administration is coordinating with Juba County authorities to address the crisis.

He revealed that joint forces from Sector Six have been stationed in the area for nearly three months, but their numbers and logistical support remain inadequate.

“We are currently trying with the commissioner of Juba County. We have deployed forces to these areas from sector six ,but the force is not enough to remove those people, because when you bring these forces they often need to be fed, if they are many.”

“But currently theses forces have been there for at least three months now. This is what we’ve tried with the commissioner but the commissioner is currently trying to find a solution to issue.”

When contacted by Eye Radio on Tuesday morning, Juba County Commissioner Emmanuel Tete Ezbon said he was in a meeting with state leadership to discuss the situation and expected to issue a statement once consultations were complete.

The allegations come as land-related disputes continue to spark tensions in several parts of Juba County, raising concerns among residents about security, displacement, and the destruction of farmland.

When contacted by Eye Radio on Tuesday morning, Juba County commissioner Emmanuel Tete Ezbon said he was in a meeting with the state leadership discussing the matter.