The administration of St. Stephen Parish Church in Munuki has accused the Central Equatoria State (CES) government of unlawfully seizing church land and demolishing property without prior notice.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Rev. Paul Samuel Paul, the parish priest of St. Stephen Church, condemned the state government’s actions.
He alleged that officials, led by the Minister of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities, arrived at the church premises on March 20, accompanied by national security personnel. The officials reportedly began opening access roads and dismantling structures on the church grounds.
“We, the Christians of St. Stephen Parish Church Munuki, were shocked to see engineers destroying our property under military protection,” Rev. Paul said. “When we confronted the Minister, he claimed he was acting on orders from the Governor of Central Equatoria State.”
According to the church, the disputed land, located in Block “B” of Munuki, was legally allocated to the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) in 1987. The land is registered under Plot No. 1567 and spans 95,200 square meters.
Rev. Paul stated that church leaders presented legal documents to the Governor and accompanied him on a site visit, but they have received no response since. “His silence speaks volumes. It reflects a blatant disregard for the rule of law and the sanctity of religious institutions,” he added.
The dispute has been brought before South Sudan’s Supreme Court four times, with each ruling in favor of the church. Despite this, the church claims the government has failed to enforce the court’s decisions.
“There is no higher authority than the Supreme Court,” Rev. Paul emphasized. “We demand the immediate eviction of illegal occupants from our land and full compensation for the destruction caused.”
He also urged the Episcopal Diocese of Juba to escalate the issue to the national government. “We call on our higher church authorities to engage with the government and ensure accountability for those who ignore the judiciary and violate our sacred space.”
In response, The Standard Zone News reached out to Central Equatoria State’s Minister of Housing and Public Utilities, David Morbe Aquilino, for a comment. The Minister declined to provide details but stated that his office would address the accusations at a press conference on Tuesday.
“We are preparing a major announcement for the press conference tomorrow to respond to the land issue accusations,” David said. “We will involve all departments involved in land acquisition, including representatives from the community who requested the allocation of plots.”
Land disputes is endemic to South Sudan, Juba in particular, with many attributing it to the lack of a comprehensive land governance mechanism. The recently developed National Land Policy, seen as the only solution, is yet to be passed by the lawmakers. The Land Act is under review in the parliament. Until the two documents are passed into law, the land dispute is far from an end in sight in South Sudan.
