The paramount chief and local youth leader in Mayom County in Unity State have welcomed the order by the SSPDF for civilians to hand in all illegal firearms.
They, however, said that the exercise should be expanded to encompass other areas, because when done in one area, the disarmed people are left vulnerable to attacks from their neighbours who still have firearms.
On Monday, the SSPDF announced a seven-day ultimatum for the people of Warrap State and Unity State’s Mayom County to hand in illegal weapons or face forceful disarmament. Last Thursday, President Salva Kiir declared a six-month state of emergency in Warrap State and Unity State’s Mayom County following intensified intercommunal violence.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday after the announcement, Paramount Chief Justice Puok Tuil said disarmament will check revenge killings and other crimes.
“Disarmament is very important to us because it will address cases of revenge killings, cattle rustling, community clashes, and other crimes which affect the entire population in Mayom County,” he stated. “However, the disarmament exercise needs to be extended to Ruweng Administrative Area and Rubkona County within Unity State and Lakes State because people from those areas can come and attack our innocent civilians.”
For his part, James Jal, the community leader in Puol Payam, said the disarmament exercise is welcome but must be done peacefully through local chiefs who should mobilize people to hand over weapons to the government.
“When it is done forcefully, it will lead to the loss of so many lives from next week,” he stated. “More violence is going to happen in Warrap State and Mayom County next week if the government continues with the forceful disarmament of armed civilians in both areas.”
Jal added: “The way forward is a peaceful disarmament plan.”
Meanwhile, Tap Dak Phar, a civil society activist who doubles as the field coordinator of Nile Youth Development Action (NYDA), echoed that the disarmament plan might create tensions between armed youth and government forces.
“It is not the best solution for the government to disarm one state and a county while the rest are not part of the disarmament plan because their criminals will come and attack innocent civilians who were disarmed,” he said. “The right people and stakeholders, like local chiefs, religious leaders, women, youth, and others, should have been consulted to address root causes.”
“I am deeply concerned that this approach will lead to resistance and more violence,” Dak added.