People with disabilities in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State are calling for inclusion in land access and legal documentation in Wau, citing systemic exclusion from property ownership.
John Akot, chairperson of the Union of People With Disabilities and the Visually Impaired Association, said hundreds of people with disabilities are being denied their constitutional right to land. He noted that many, including women and children, are forced to sleep on the streets due to the lack of land ownership opportunities.
Akot said acquiring land documents is difficult, with many unsure of the process. He also raised concerns over duplicate land allocations, which often lead to disputes.
South Sudan’s Constitution and the 2009 Land Act guarantee the right to own land regardless of gender, religion or culture. Akot urged authorities and nongovernmental organizations to assist people with disabilities in constructing shelters.
“Without support from NGOs and the government, we will never have access to land,” Akot said. “I appeal to the International Organization for Migration in particular to help us, even though they primarily work with internally displaced persons.”
George Arkangelo, a member of the disability community, said exclusion from land ownership has caused widespread suffering.
“We have disabled women with three to five children sleeping on the streets,” Arkangelo said. “We’ve submitted petitions to the government for land, but they are ignored.”
Omara Joseph Wani, protection and advocacy officer for the South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network, said land access issues affect the entire country, with people with disabilities facing systemic discrimination.
“They face challenges not only in Wau or Juba but across South Sudan,” Wani said. “It’s unacceptable that they are seen as undeserving of land.” He called for community awareness campaigns to shift perceptions.
Philip Batista, director of land in the state’s Ministry of Housing, Land and Public Utilities, said the ministry has provisions for people with disabilities but emphasized that proper procedures must be followed. He reaffirmed that everyone has a legal right to land.
Wau has seen increasing disputes over housing and property ownership, partly due to conflicts and a lack of professional oversight in digitized land title issuance.
On April 23, state Governor Emmanuel Primo Ukelo issued Directive No. 15, suspending all land demarcations in Wau to allow time for proper regulatory reforms, according to local radio station Voice of Hope.