Police, land grabbers clash in Juba wounding 2

JUBA – At least two suspected land grabbers were wounded during clashes with police operatives at Tongping residential in South Sudan’s capital Juba, police spokesman, Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin Boulo, said.

General Justin said the shootout erupted when the alleged land grabbers opened fire at police officers who were sent to calm an escalating tension over a house in Tongping adjacent to UN house.

“The armed group came claiming a house and starting chasing away those whom they found in the house on Sunday night,” Justin told a Sudans Post reporter in Juba this morning.

“It was reported to us and the police went there and found them (suspected land grabber) hiding in a house they are claiming and when police entered the house, they started opening fire at police,” Justin explained.

Justin disclosed that the police managed to arrest 11 suspected land grabbers, saying two sustaining injuries are now receiving treatment at the hospital.

“We exchanged fire and as a result, two of them were wounded and we managed to arrest all of them, there were 11 in number,” he said

He revealed that a case has been opened against them and an investigation is underway while warning the public against taking land into their hands.

“Many people who had a dispute over land, through the court, managed to recover their lands. So taking laws into your hands is not good,” he warned the public.

“You should follow the legal procedures and at the end of the day, you will get your land back,” he added.

Land conflicts over Juba city have been going on for several years since the establishment of the government of South Sudan in 2005.

Members of the host community, the Bari, have been accusing inhabitants from other states of grabbing their land.

They also accused them of not following the legal procedures of acquiring land through the Central Equatoria state’s ministry of physical infrastructure.