Jonglei state: civilian disarmament to commence in one week
February 23, 2012 (JUBA) – A comprehensive disarmament of the civilian population in the volatile Jonglei state will begin on 1 March, the South Sudan government have announced.
Six weeks of raids and counter raids in Jonglei state over December and January displaced over 120,000 people and killed an unknown number. Raids and counter raids in June and August last year between the Luo Nuer and Murle ethnic groups killed over 1,000 people.
Analysts express fear that the disarmament exercise may prove violent as some communities may resist the disarmament and clash with the army.
Mathok, who spoke after a joint meeting with the government and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) which was co-chaired by the Vice President, Riek Machar and Hilde Johnson, the special representative of the UN Secretary General, said the disarmament will be simultaneous in all the counties of the state.
He said the South Sudan government and army was hoping the disarmament would be peaceful.
Earlier this month a group called the Nuer White Army, who claimed responsibility for an advance of 6,000 armed men into Pibor County – home of the Murle – triggering the recent unrest, said that they were planning to surround Murle territory to protect themselves from attacks.
Previous disarmament campaigns in Lou-Nuer areas of Jonglei state has resulted in forced disarmament.
The thousands of armed civilians in Jonglei are a hangover from South Sudan’s two decade long conflict with the north of Sudan. Since South Sudan seceded from the north last year officials in Juba have accused the north of arming rebels groups in Jongeli and other areas exacerbating the proliferation of small arms.
The SPLA’s head of information, Brigadier General Malaak Ayuen told South Sudan TV on Thursday accused the Murle community of carrying out attacks against the Lou-Nuer after they learnt that the Lou-Nuer were disarmed, which he said forced the Lou-Nuer to re-arm.
“Enough is enough”, he said, adding that as as civilians had refused to peacefully handover their guns the army had been forced to step in. Mathok called on the communities to peacefully handover their guns.
DISARMAMENT IN WARRAP, UNITY and LAKES STATE
South Sudan’s government is also faced with a similar disarmament issues along the borders of Warrap, Unity and Lakes states, where cattle raiding resulting in deaths, displacement and destruction of property is common.
Members of parliament in Juba who represent Warrap and Lakes state in their joint meeting with the Vice President two weeks ago appealed to the leadership to disarm populations in Warrap, Lakes and Unity states.
Some of the MPs from Lakes and Warrap informed the Vice President that previous disarmament campaigns have been unsuccessful as they were perceived as being discriminatory, putting some groups at a disadvantage.
Some communities within Warrap and Lakes states were disarmed while other communities within the same states were not disarmed, the MPs said. This, they added, also included Unity state where some communities were not disarmed.
They cautioned the leadership in Juba against solely depending on reports by state governors that they have disarmed all communities under their jurisdiction.
The members of parliament called upon the national government to verify such claims made by the the governors, adding that the some of their reports had been falsified.
(ST)
Video by SaferWorld
Cattle raiding and small arms control in South Sudan