State Directive Halts Local Demarcation
Central Equatoria State’s Minister of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities, David Morbe Aquilino, has issued a directive stopping all land demarcation and planning across the state with immediate effect.
Under the order, county authorities, payams, and the Juba City Council are not permitted to conduct land surveying, demarcation, or planning on their own. Such work must be processed through the state Ministry of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities.
Ministry-Centered Process With Community Involvement
The directive specifies that the ministry’s handling of land activities must include local authorities and affected communities. The measure reframes decision-making around a single state-level channel while keeping a formal role for local participation.
Officials present the move as an administrative effort to tighten procedures and bring land management under clearer oversight, rather than allowing multiple institutions to run parallel processes.
Review of Past Surveys in Juba Investment Zones
The order also covers work already underway or previously completed. Ongoing and earlier survey and planning activities, including those in key investment zones around Juba, are to be submitted to the ministry.
According to the directive, the review is meant to harmonize these works with state-wide planning priorities, reducing inconsistencies that can emerge when plans are developed by different authorities.
Land Governance Pressures and Dispute Risks in Juba
State officials say the policy aims to curb land grabbing and irregular allocations that have affected Juba and other parts of Central Equatoria. Over time, allegations have included unlawful demarcation, evictions, and dispossession of legitimate owners.
Land-related disputes have remained a recurring issue, particularly around Juba, where urban expansion, weak regulation, and overlapping mandates have contributed to contested claims and community tensions, according to observers cited in the report.
Juba Master Plan Update Back on the Agenda
The ministry says it is moving forward with plans to update the Juba Master Plan, described as a long-delayed framework intended to formalize urban development, guide land use, and bring greater order to city growth and surrounding areas.
In practice, the directive and the master plan update appear linked by a shared focus on standardizing procedures and clarifying how development and land allocation should be managed across the state.
Enforcement Questions and the Test of Transparency
Observers say a blanket ban could improve coherence in land governance if implemented consistently. They also argue that outcomes will depend on transparency, meaningful community participation, and administrative capacity within the ministry.
Analysts caution that the ministry will face a balancing act between investment needs and protection of local land rights. They also note that previous efforts to rein in illegal allocations have encountered resistance and criticism over enforcement.