JUBA – A South Sudan army commander is reportedly threatening to kill police officers trying to enforce a court ruling that ordered him to vacate a civilian house in Juba that he has been illegally occupying since the outbreak of civil war in December 2013, according to a senior police officer.
The high-ranking police source told Sudans Post this afternoon that a court in Juba has this week ordered the unnamed army commander to vacate a civilian house in Nimira Talata neighborhood which he has been copying by force since 2013.
“Last week, a court ordered him to leave the house and hand it back to the owner. He refused and clearly told the court that he will not comply with the orders. We thought he would change his mind, we were wrong,” the police officer told Sudans Post on condition of anonymity.
The officer said the judge had gave him seven days to leave the house and after that period elapsed, the army commander remained.
He said a security team including members of the police, and the national security service went to ask him to vacate. Instead of leaving, the army commander threatened to kill anyone from the law enforcement who would try to enter the compound.
“We went to him this afternoon to ask him to leave this house which has been copying by force since December 2013. A number of police officers including me as well as members of the national security service, went to him tell him to pack his bags,” he said.
“What we found is that he refused to leave and now he is threatening to kill anyone who would try to enter the house and this is the reason for the tensions,” he said.
Forceful occupation of houses has become alarming since civil war broke out in December 2013. Many people living in UN IDP camps in Juba are saying that their house have been occupied by senior army officers.
Several court orders in the past to hand over houses to their owners have been turned down by senior army commanders or influential officials.