South Sudan imperiled by land-grabbing: report
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March 23, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Large-scale and rapidly growing farmland
investments in South Sudan hold potential risks for the nascent state
if not properly and transparently regulated, a new report has warned.
The oil-producing yet grossly-underdeveloped region of south Sudan
voted almost unanimously in a referendum earlier this year to secede
from the north as part of a 2005’s peace deal which ended more than
two decades of north-south civil wars.
A high incidence of violence in different parts of the region has
stoked fears about the viability of the new state and the future of
its agriculture-based economy ahead of the region’s formal
independence in July this year.
Prepared for the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), the report titled "the
New Frontier, a baseline survey of large-scale investment in
Southern-Sudan" presented data showing that during the last four
years, 28 foreign companies sought or acquired a total of 2.64 million
hectares of land (26,400 km2) in the agriculture, forestry and
bio-fuel sectors alone.
Adding to the already existing domestic investment, the report said
that the figure has risen to 5.74 million hectares (57,400 km2), or
nine percent of Southern Sudan’s total land area.”
According to the report, one United Arab Emirates (UAE) company called
Al Ain Wildlife has leased the entire area of Boma National Park at
22,800 sq km, while an American company, Nile Trading and Development,
has leased 6,000 sq km of land outside the southern capital Juba.
Land disputes have fueled deadly communal clashes in the south and
caused displacement of local population. The region’s government was
urged to intervene in land disputes on more than one occasion.
The report cited "serious deficiencies" in the extent to which local
communities were being consulted over land investment and said that
lease amounts tended to be rather low compared with the value of the
land.
It also cautioned against potential displacement of local population
in view of the fact that most projects are based in densely populated
areas.
However, it noted that so far there were no reports of forced
evictions due to the projects.
Whereas the report acknowledges that this influx of land investment
could, in theory, provide development opportunities for rural
communities, it warned that “without the appropriate procedures in
place there is a danger that it will serve to undermine livelihoods.”
The report puts forward a series of recommendations to the Government
of Southern Sudan (GoSS), its international partners, civil society,
companies, investors, and rural communities in the region to address
potential risks of large-scale land-investment.
It includes disclosure of all documents associated with large-scale
land investment projects and review existing contracts.
The report further asked the government to consider a temporary ban on
all large-scale land acquisitions until government institutions are
better established.
(ST)
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