South Sudan army vows to remove illicit firearms from civil population
By Ngor Arol Garang
March 5, 2012 (JUBA) – The South Sudan army, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) has announced its readiness to conduct the ”peaceful” collection of illegal arms from the civil population across the country but primarily in Jonglei, Unity, Lakes and Warrap states; all of which have recently been subject to increased tribal conflict.
Majak D’ Agoot, South Sudan’s deputy defence minister, said the SPLA has the mandate to remove arms from the hands of the unauthorised civilian population by “all means” but is to be carried out in a “peaceful” manner.
“Arms should be left to those who are legally mandated to carry them as required by law”, Agoot told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.
D’Agoot said the SPLA was determined to clean the country which is awash with firearms, in order to restore peace and stability.
“The army knows how to conduct these operations. It will be a one-time and comprehensive exercise”, Agoot said.
Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the South Sudan’s minister of information and broadcasting services said in a separate interview that the exercise should not be misconstrued but rather be seen as positive exercise to restore peace and stability in the country. “This exercise is going to be different. It will generate hope and optimism for a brighter future,” said Marial.
He underscored that the achievements made within the past six years by his government are incomparable to the years of Khartoum-rule which left a legacy of depleted resources, inappropriate national institutions and organisational structures that did not match the realities of the social context.
“One may posit, therefore, that there is little merit in commending the achievements of political independence without putting it into context, for political independence has led to the struggle for economic independence. The war we waged for more than 55 years was a struggle to attain an economic superpower status, for which all hands must be on deck not to kill ourselves in meaningless tribal conflict,” he stated.
(ST)