South Sudan forms land reform unit to address grabbing, disputes

JUBA – South Sudan’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has established a Land Reform Unit aimed at tackling corruption and land grabbing.

Robert Ladu Lwoki, chairperson of the South Sudan Land Commission, said solving land disputes requires a dedicated unit.

“We want to form a land reform unit under the ministry… to pave the way for [a] land policy and other land reform policies because there are so many land issues,” said Lwoki, who also chairs the unit’s task force.

He explained that unauthorized land distribution hinders non-oil revenue collection and fuels land grabbing.

“So, the government must take the lead because this land is something valuable. That’s why later on, you hear our land is grabbed and who grab it – you find those in the market and chiefs are involved,” he noted.

Lwoki added that a lack of official land authorities within the framework of South Sudan’s 2009 Land Act is a major factor in land disputes.

Ministry of Lands Undersecretary Louis Kwot Akolieth said a two-day workshop was aimed at reviewing the terms of reference for the new unit. He added that the unit complies with both the country’s land policy and its peace agreement.

Kimio Ajing, the Deputy Chairman of the South Sudan Bar Association, linked land grabbing to limited resources in the capital following the peace deal.

“The main cause behind land grabbing is because people are desperate to access and to get land and with the limited distribution of land people trespass and go take land of others through illegal means,” said Ajing.

Ajing said the issue began during the 1983 civil war and appealed for a robust land policy.