Juba High Court Halts Demarcation of Nyamini Land

By Awan Achiek

The High Court of South Sudan, Kator Branch, has issued an interim restraining order to halt unauthorized land demarcation on Nyamini Land, which the Bari community claims as ancestral territory.

This court order stems from a legal challenge filed by Chief Olimpio Lokudu Pitia and other Bari traditional leaders against the ongoing demarcation of the disputed land.

“The demarcation of the area of Nyamini Land, approximately 8 kilometers by 8 kilometers (totaling 32 square kilometers), is restrained until this Honorable Court decides the matter, land in dispute,” stated the order issued on September 4, 2026, by Judge Ayiei Nyang Ayiei of High Court Powers.

The dispute reportedly involves the Nyangwara and Tijor Mundari communities, who are alleged to have initiated unilateral demarcation activities on the approximately 32-square-kilometer Nyamini territory.

These activities were reportedly conducted under the traditional leadership of Sultan Emmanuel Juma Khalifa and Sultan Roman Lodu Denis, without the consent of Bari representatives or authorization from relevant authorities.

The Bari traditional leadership challenged these activities in the High Court, arguing that demarcation should not proceed while ownership and land rights remain contested.

In its interim determination, the court ordered that all demarcation activities be restrained pending a final ruling on ownership and related land rights.

This order effectively halts further demarcation of the disputed territory until the court issues a final decision.

The Nyamini dispute underscores long-standing tensions over land ownership, ancestral territories, and settlement in areas surrounding Juba, where competing claims have increasingly become a source of concern among communities and traditional leaders.

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