Sudan’s Lakes State launches large-scale disarmament operation
By Manyang Mayom
Jan 31, 2007 (RUMBEK) — Southern Sudan Lakes States authorities started a large scale operation to collect arms from civilians in the state in order to contain intertribal fighting and restore order in the region.
SPLA soldiers check house to house researching for guns in Rumbek, no “forgiveness for one who found having a gun in his own house” according to SPLA young officers who where been given powers by state authority “statement Say”
According to Acting Governor, Awan Andrew Guol Riak, who is the security advisor of Lakes State, said that they have collected 331 guns in the first disarmament operation in last year 2006.
Awan stressed that protections of those who are already disarm will be carried out by the State authority as concerns task.
One SPLA junior security personnel quoted saying “we must make sure that this second disarmament operation should liberate fears, so that people can be moving freely without fear of death any longer in this state. He added that we fought 22 years civil war and we had benefits nothing in our hand until we signed peace agreement. It is the right time now for our citizens to stop killing themselves with unknown reasons in this state.
Muorbit Pagaru, who is a SPLA officer, said “we need to remove “curfew” by removing all the unauthorized guns from civil populations without delays.”
Pagaru added “we are not joking with law enforcement because we are the government and we must to know what are we suppose to do since Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in last two years ago by our late hero Dr. John Garang De Mabior in Kenya.
According to host commissioner of Rumbek Central County, Abraham Makoi Bol Kodi “we have done our part by correcting 156 A47 and one rifle (PKAM) plus 331 guns; it is now the turns for Lakes State police authority to protect the citizens.”
Nevertheless, commissioner says they had lost 10,700 citizens due for intertribal conflict in the region. “Why, what is the problem we do keep killing always? Because gun had give more powers of killing and that is why we have deicide to withdraw back our guns to Barrack of SPLA store”.
Abraham Makoi added that, “Rumbek Central County must to be taught of what his so call (Law and Order) for Lakes citizens to know before the verifications of war destructions tools practices in this county” his concluded.
(ST)