Unity State Finalises Property Handover
After years of legal limbo, Unity State officials formally handed administrative offices, schools and commercial plots back to the South Sudan Islamic Council last week.
Governor Justice Riek Bim Top instructed the Ministry of Engineering Affairs and Public Utilities to complete the hand-over, citing President Salva Kiir’s 2018 directive protecting Muslim-owned property.
Presidential Directive Spurs Compliance
The 2018 order emerged from the annual Ramadan Iftar, where Kiir promised faith leaders equal treatment under the law. Implementation stalled amid conflict and frequent administrative reshuffles, turning Unity State into a litmus test for interfaith property rights.
By finally enforcing the instruction, Bim framed the gesture as ‘a victory for justice and the rule of law’, according to minutes seen by this magazine.
Islamic Council Welcomes Move
Secretary-General Abdallah Baraj Rual Kuot told reporters the Council had ‘waited five years for this day’, stressing that restored assets will finance Quranic schools and social programmes in Bentiu and Rubkona.
Local mayor Nyanchieng Bieh, one of the few female officials in the predominantly oil-rich state, described the restitution as a bridge between communities long divided by civil war.
Broader Regional Implications
Observers say the decision could signal renewed governmental commitment to minority rights across South Sudan’s ten states and three administrative areas, many of which still dispute mosque land.
Civil society activist Peter Gatwech argues that consistent enforcement, rather than symbolic decrees, will determine whether confidence returns to investors and faith groups alike.
Path Forward for Inclusive Governance
Unity State officials plan a joint audit with Islamic Council accountants to catalogue remaining assets and settle outstanding tenancy disputes within sixty days.
Successful completion could become a model echoed by neighbouring administrations, aligning with continental aspirations under the African Union’s Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.