Lakes State, South Sudan
November 9,2021—Authorities in Lakes State have declared a “peaceful disarmament” exercise to seize or register guns from civilians and retired officers to reduce illegal firearms in the state.
According to the information received by Nyamilepedia, the Lake state acting information minister, William Koji Kirjok, said the registration of firearms has already commenced and that the peaceful and voluntarily disarmament exercise will last for 90 days right from this month till 4th of February 2022.
According to the Minister of Information, Lakes State government does not care how or where the guns were obtained but the state government needs them in their possession.
“We do not mind about the source where these civilians bought guns but what we want is to disarm them and keep the guns,” Minister Koji told Radio Tamazuj over weekend.
“Since former governor, Makur Kulang initiated the peaceful and voluntary disarmament exercise in Lakes State last year, there was no firearms proliferation. All the firearms which were removed from the hands of civilians are kept in the government store facility in Rumbek.”,he added.
Koji said Governor Riny Tueny Mabor has directed all the chiefs and gelweng (home guard) leaders to register firearms without further delay or that they should hand them over peacefully to the authorities before the approaching season of cattle migration to (Toich-manyiel) wetlands.
“The governor has told the community chiefs and gelwong leaders that the cattle migration to the wetlands during the next season will be regulated by the governor, under his directives and no one will be allowed to migrate with cattle to wetlands with firearms,” Minister Koji further stressed.
To avoid more inter-commmunal fighting and cattle raids during the dry season, which is soon approaching, the governor of Lakes State promises to deploy armed forces along wetlands before the pastoralist communities begin migrating to the swamps with their cattle.
Mawat Mangar, the executive chief in Rumbek Central County, confirmed that the chiefs and gelweng leaders of Rumbek Central County were presence during the meeting with Governor Ring Tueny Mabor last Thursday to discuss the arms registration and peaceful disarmament of all civilians in Lakes State.
Lakes State is one of the insecure states in South Sudan but since the appointment of Gen. Riny Tueny Mabor as governor, the Security situation has been gradually improving.
On the other hand, Governor Riny Tueny previously headed a similar campaign in Warrap States; however, the exercise went wrong leading to a heavy fighting between the armed forces and youth in which over 200 officers were killed and the rest narrowly survived.
