Arop Jonchol
The Episcopal Church of St. Stephen in Munuki has accused the Central Equatoria State Government of illegally seizing its land and carrying out demolition operations without prior notice.
In an official statement distributed to the media, the church claimed that a team of engineers, led by the Minister of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities and backed by the National Security Service, entered the church premises on March 20 and proceeded to clear roads and demolish structures without consulting the church administration.
The statement, signed by Rev. Paul Samuel Paul, priest of St. Stephen’s Church, directly blamed the minister for violating the sanctity of the church. According to Rev. Paul, the minister justified his actions by saying he was acting on direct orders from the Governor of Central Equatoria State.
The church asserted that it holds legal documents proving ownership of the land, which was officially granted in 1987 by the then-Regional Ministry of Housing and Utilities. The land in question is located on Plot No. 1567 in Block B, covering an area of approximately 95,200 square meters.
The church has called on the state government to immediately cease the encroachment and return the land, warning of escalating tensions if the violations continue.
In response, Minister of Housing David Morbi Aquilino declined to give a direct comment but stated that the state government would release an official statement addressing the allegations.
This dispute arises at a time when the Central Equatoria Government has been actively warning against illegal land occupation, accusing so-called “land grabbers” of misleading citizens and selling land without proper authorization.
In an earlier press conference, Minister Morbi stressed that the ministry had not issued any official demarcation or allocation decisions in certain disputed areas including Mangala, Luri, Rejaf, and Lado, asserting that any ongoing activities in those areas do not reflect the ministry’s official stance.
