Central Equatoria denies grabbing church land in Munuki

JUBA – The government of South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State has dismissed a claim by a local church that it has seized church-owned land.

Reverend Paul Samuel, a leader at St. Stephen Parish Church, had accused the state government of land grabbing. However, Central Equatoria State Minister of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities, David Morbe Aquilino, refuted these claims.

Speaking to reporters in Juba on Wednesday, Aquilino said the government has “no issues with the people or the church.”

“We want to reassure all church leaders and congregants that the CES government is not involved in any land-grabbing schemes. Our focus is on service delivery,” he added.

He stated that the government’s responsibility is to provide services to the state’s population, which includes allocating land and regulating settlement.

Aquilino revealed that the ministry had already allocated eight plots of land to St. Stephen Church to support its religious and community infrastructure.

“We recognize the importance of the Church. We can’t allow our people to live in areas without churches or schools. That’s why both are part of our plans, and we have given eight plots to the Church,” he said.

The minister added that the issue surrounding the disputed Gezira land dated back nearly four decades.

“I was appointed on May 22, 2024. This land issue began 37 years ago, long before my tenure or even that of the current governor,” he said.

Last week, Reverend Paul Samuel alleged that government officials, accompanied by national security personnel and engineers, forcibly entered church premises on March 20 and began opening roads and demolishing structures without prior notice.

“We, the Christians of St. Stephen Parish Church, were shocked to see engineers destroying our property under military protection,” Reverend Paul said. “When we confronted the minister, he claimed he was acting on orders from the governor.”

The administration of St. Stephen’s Parish Church in Munuki had condemned the government’s actions as an “illegal demarcation” of church land and called for accountability.

In a statement on Sunday, Reverend Samuel said government officials led by Aquilino arrived at the church on March 20 with national security forces and began opening roads and demolishing church structures without informing the church administration.

“We, the Christians of St. Stephen Parish Church Munuki, were shocked to witness engineers demolishing parts of our property under military guard,” he stated.

Land grabbing remains a significant problem in Central Equatoria and other regions of South Sudan, driven by unclear land laws, weak governance, and the involvement of powerful individuals, foreign investors, and military figures.