Jadalla initiates investigation into Gezira land dispute btw church and residents

The Governor of Central Equatoria has suspended land demarcation activities in Hai Gezira Munuki and has formed a committee to investigate the root causes of the ongoing land dispute between St. Stephen Church and the residents of Hai Gezira.

On April 20th, Rev. Paul Samuel, the parish priest of St. Stephen Parish in Munuki, accused the state Ministry of Land, Housing, and Public Utilities of demolishing the church’s residential quarters in an attempt to seize the land.

On Friday, the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Primate Justin Badi Arama refuted reports circulating on social media, which alleged that he was beaten at St. Stephen Parish in the Mukuki area of Juba.

Photos of Primate Badi, along with other church members, seated on the floor within the church premises with police standing behind him on Thursday, emerged on social media.

His mission to the area came amid tensions between the church and residents over a land dispute.

According to the Primate, the church had begun a month-long period of fasting and prayer when stones were thrown into the church compound.

Some stones, he said, struck a few priests and church members, prompting police intervention.

The religious leader denied the claims that church members were beaten.

Rev. Paul stated that St. Stephen Parish was established in 1965 and that the land in question was allocated to the church in 1987 by the then-regional Ministry of Housing.

In response, David Morbe, the Central Equatoria Minister of Housing, issued a public apology to the leadership of the Episcopal Church for the incident.

According to Morbe, Governor Jadalla has directed the suspension of ongoing land demarcation in the area and initiated an investigation into the dispute.

In a gubernatorial order issued on Monday via the Governor’s Office Facebook page, Governor Jadalla suspended land demarcation in Hai Gezira/Munuki and established a nine-member ad hoc committee to probe the root causes of the land dispute between the church and the residents.

The committee, which is headed by the state legal advisor, has been tasked with submitting a report of its findings to the Governor’s Office within 21 days.