By Taban Gabriel
The Central Equatoria Transitional State parliament has rejected a provision in the new amended land policy that suggest “the land belongs to all people of South Sudan.
In a letter dated 15th Febraury, 2023 and signed by the Speaker of Central Equatoria State Legislative assembly, Peter Wani Elia Kulang, the state parliament members argued that “The Land belong to all the people of South Sudan” clause, lacks views of all South Sudanese communities and should be put on hold until permanent constitution making process and extensive consultation is conducted.
The State Transitional State Parliament said the policy was passed in hurry and that it was done in bad faith and meant to institutionalise land grabbing
The legislatures likened the clause to the Sudan’s 1998 enacted law which stated that “All lands in the Sudan, belong to Allah”
The Parliament defended their objection over the new land policy with what it referred to as “rampant and unprecedented land grabbing in Central Equatoria State”.
The Central Equatoria legislatures urged the Land Commission and National Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development to provide interpretations of the difference between the two phrases of “Land Belong to the Community” and Land Belong to all The People”
The legislatures further called on the president of the Republic to ask National
Council of Ministers to put on hold the passing of the bill into law