South Sudan army collects 400 illegal guns in Warrap State

By Awan Achiek

The South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) have since Monday collected 400 illegal guns from civilians in Warrap State.

Ring Deng Ading, State Minister of Information, confirmed that the weapons were collected during the ongoing disarmament that resumed this week after nearly two years.

“They (SSPDF) have reported that they have collected 400 pieces of guns, rifles in two days and I don’t know how many we will receive again,” he told The Juba Echo by phone on Wednesday.

More than 148 civilians, including soldiers were killed in August 2020 during disarmament exercise that sparked clashes between armed youth from the cattle camp and SSPDF officers.

The violence at Romic area in Tonj East erupted when soldiers beat up a youth wearing a red scarf on his head, angering his colleagues who later on retaliated with gunfire.

“The security in Warrap is calm so far, the disarmament has been launched by the Governor of Warrap State Gen. Aleu Ayieny,” Ading revealed.

He also urged civilians to voluntarily handover guns to the police and SSPDF.

South Sudan is awash with illegal guns in the hands of civilians after decades of civil war of independence from Sudan.

The longest civil war in Africa later on ended with the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Kenya, paving the way for separation of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.