South Sudan

Entities such as USAID, the World Bank, and major U.S. universities are often the architects behind these land deals, which promise benefits for Africans but can often deliver food insecurity and displacement.

Large-scale land investment should be seen as an extension of the historical processes of state formation, says this paper from Chatham House

"In South Sudan, responsible investment may not be enough."

Over nine per cent of South Sudan's land has already been acquired for large-scale investment. Now, the government is trying to undo deals done without its, or the community's knowledge, before people rise up to free it again.

South Sudan hopes to attract investors from Gulf Arab states, Israel, China and fellow African countries to boost production of basic food items, a government official said on Thursday.

Selon un nouveau rapport, les transactions foncières « menacent de compromettre les droits fonciers des communautés rurales, d’aggraver l’insécurité alimentaire, d’accroître la pauvreté et de faire échouer les modèles de développement » du Soudan du Sud

The government has said it will review all the deals done by foreign companies and try to close the many legal loopholes that have allowed foreign companies to “grab” large tracts of land without the knowledge of government and communities.

Research released today by the Oakland Institute demonstrates that land grabs--largely unregulated land deals involving foreign corporations and speculators--continue to be promoted as a "development" solution for African nations.

On 31 January 2012 in Dubai, 2nd Commercial Farm Africa features panel of experts and in-depth analysis on land utilization & investment policies in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Sudan, Namibia, Ghana and Ethiopia.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the US government’s development finance institution, approved Wednesday a $150 mln financial package that will go to Citadel Capital, a regional private equity firm that just completed its first wheat harvest in Sudan.

Egyptian private equity firm Citadel Capital, which has leased 259,500 acres for farming in Unity state, is among dozens of foreign entities to have struck large land deals in the new country.

Foreign interests into the South Sudan pie have managed to secure some 5.74 million hectares of land for agribusiness concerns namely agriculture, forestry, biofuels, eco-tourism and carbon trading.