(JUBA CITY) – The High Level Committee appointed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to manage land disputes and informal settlements in Juba has suspended all road construction in the Lokwilili residential area. The decision follows concerns over unauthorised opening of roads in the neighbourhood.
The committee met on Wednesday at the State Secretariat in Juba. The session was convened by Lt. Gen. Rabi Mujung Emmanuel, Governor of Central Equatoria State and co-chaired by Hon. Michael Chiangjiek, Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development. Participants included members of the Land Committee, local residents of Lokwilili, technical surveyors from the State Department of Survey, the State Minister of Housing, Lands and Public Utilities, the Commissioner of Juba County, and the Mayor of Juba City Council.
Discussions centred on unauthorised road construction that had begun in the area. Eng. Louis Kwot, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Land, Housing, and Urban Development, told the press that the committee decided to halt all ongoing road works immediately. He added that the State government will now allocate plots to the rightful owners and open roads in line with official survey maps.
Eng. Kwot explained that the decision followed a letter from the National Government in September 2025, which had authorised some road construction. “The High Level Committee has revoked that letter and instructed all parties on the ground to stop activity immediately,” he said.
Hon. David Morbe, State Minister of Housing, Lands and Public Utilities, confirmed that all security organs in the area would enforce the suspension. He noted that Lokwilili was officially demarcated in 2009, and the recent road works were not reported to the ministry. He described the unauthorised activity as undermining the ministry’s mandate.
“Some groups opened roads and demolished houses outside the approved plan,” Hon. Morbe said. “Residents appealed to the State Government, prompting our intervention. We have suspended the road works to prevent escalation into violence, and residents were fully briefed during the meeting.”
The decision aims to restore order in Lokwilili and ensure that development follows the official survey and planning framework, according to a statement released by the Central Equatoria State Government Press Unit.