Army chief urges IDPs to return for ‘legitimate’ complaints over land theft

JUBA – South Sudan army chief General Johnson Juma Okot is urging internally displaced persons to return to their areas in order to make legitimate complaints over land grabbing.

General Juma who was speaking at the memorial of late David Ongee, a local chief in Magwi County of Western Equatoria state who was killed in 2018 by pastoralists, said IDPs shouldn’t complain of land theft when they are not actually living in their land.

“You cannot complain that your land is being forcefully grabbed and your houses occupied when you are not staying in it. Therefore, I urge leaders from the two [Acholi and Madi] communities within Magwi County to encourage your people to come back from camps and make legitimate complaints,” the top army officer said.

“Even if you tell the international community that your land has been taken, they would want to see the evidence. It would be stupid if they find out you are not even in your country,” he added.

General Juma said the army deployed troops to the area following the occurrence of conflict in 2018 to protect the residents in the area saying young men who had rebelled for wrong intentions had turned against innocent people in the area.

“What the government did when during the conflict prioritizing the security of this region [Magwi County] because people young men who rebelled with bad intention had turned against innocent people. So, we had to deploy troops to secure the area,” he said.

The army chief further threatened identify some members of the community who he accused of conspiring with armed groups to lure youth into joining insurgency which he said have now become threat to the community.

“We know all of you. I’m even seeing those who connived with armed groups during the conflict and auctioned out this land for cattle grazing. You are all here, I just don’t want to mention names,” General Juma said.

“Now that the cattle are here, you are saying we should remove them when it was you [members of the community] who helped bring them here [in Magwi]. Why not help get them out the same way?” he asked.

“When the Mine Action Group came to us and requested to renovated schools, this community said they need revenue. How can you demand revenue from someone who offered to clean your compound?”