Central Equatoria state will begin a long-delayed exercise to show demarcated plots to their registered owners in at least 13 areas of Juba and its outskirts, the state’s housing minister said on Thursday.
David Morbe Aquilino, Minister for Housing, Land and Public Utilities, told a press conference that the areas include Lokwilili and Lokwilili Extension, Molobur, Curragwes, Lukarakak, Yaruk, Durupi, Kapuri and Hai Salam, among others. Some of the plots were demarcated as far back as 2013 and earlier but were never formally shown to their allottees.
“These areas have been demarcated for a long time, but due to various reasons, they have not been shown to the rightful owners,” Morbe said.
He said the 2013 conflict and subsequent displacement disrupted the process, while new occupants later moved onto some of the plots. The exercise is scheduled to begin as early as next week in areas where procedures have been cleared, with authorities aiming to complete it during the dry season before the rains.
Previous attempts to conduct the exercise faced resistance, particularly in Curragwes, where individuals occupying plots without legal documents obstructed officials, Morbe said. Some of those involved were armed, creating insecurity and forcing the suspension of the process.
Morbe said individuals legally allotted land and holding government-issued documents remain the legitimate owners.
“When someone has been allotted a plot, given a document and paid the required fees to the government, he is the rightful owner,” he said. “Whoever resides on that plot without a title deed has no right over it.”
He said the government would rely on the law to ensure rightful owners reclaim their land. However, he added that settlers living in undemarcated areas could be considered in future planning through social surveys and possible relocation or compensation.
The minister distinguished between categories of illegal occupants: those who settled in undemarcated areas, those who moved into already demarcated plots without authorisation, and organised land grabbers who fence off plots, open roads, issue fake documents and sell land illegally.
“These people are criminals. They have no mandate to collect money or issue documents. Land management is the full responsibility of the government,” he said.
Morbe was also clarifying Ministerial Order No. 5/2026, which suspended new identification and surveying activities across the state’s six counties, Juba City Council and administrative units. He said the order had been misinterpreted by some members of the public as a total halt to all land-related activities.
“The order did not suspend all activities. It is about organizing and harmonizing the process,” he said, adding that any new demarcation or surveying must be conducted through the state ministry in coordination with counties, payams and local communities.
All existing county-level plans and registered lands must be submitted to the state for review and incorporation into the master plan to prevent further disputes, he said. The directive seeks to address re-demarcation of already planned areas, overlapping or duplicate allotments, and encroachment arising from poor coordination.
According to Morbe, such issues have fuelled disputes between communities and registered owners, sometimes escalating into violence. He cited recent clashes in Lokonyo, also known as Matangai, as examples of how land conflicts have become a security concern in Juba and across the state.
The 2009 Land Act stipulates that counties may allocate public land only with approval from the relevant state ministry, he said, urging county commissioners, payam administrators and engineers to submit all plans to the State Town Planning Board for harmonisation with the master plan.
While new unapproved demarcations remain halted, the legitimate showing of plots will continue under proper coordination, Morbe said. He also called on security agencies to support enforcement of the order and act against land grabbers, including armed groups and self-proclaimed chiefs operating without state recognition.
“We did not suspend the work. We want the work to move smoothly, with coordination and without conflict,” he said.