The issue of disarming the civilians has become one of the most nagging exercises to the government of South Sudan in its quest to end violence in the country. The process has been faltering over the past years, especially after the peace agreement that was signed in 2018.
The widespread possession and illegal use of weapons in various communities represents a threat to peace and security in South Sudan and greatly exacerbates inter-community violence.
During the National Parliament session on Thursday, MP Gai Mayen Luk, who represents Yirol East Province, proposed nationwide disarmament to ensure the government controls all illegal weapons, stressing that the process will enhance security in the states.
Parliament’s discussion of this issue is considered a good step that will contribute to putting the proposal into effect, but it is important to keep in mind that the disarmament process will only succeed if it is implemented as part of a comprehensive process of justice, reconciliation and the protection of communities by the security forces.
This means that the deployment of unified forces is extremely important in this issue so that communities feel safe and protected by the regular forces, which is what the government seeks to do achieve despite some obstacles that continue to delay the deployment.
Of course, the government will work to avoid using force to disarm people, in order to avoid any possible escalation of violence and casualties. Therefore, it is vital that the disarmament process be conducted peacefully, and to ensure that communities voluntarily give up their illegal weapons after raising awareness from local leaders and government officials.
Parliamentarians themselves can play a major role in convincing communities to surrender their weapons voluntarily because they represent different geographical constituencies.
Large parts of South Sudan witness armed violence from time to time due to the spread of weapons in the hands of herders, and their use to steal cows, in addition to mutual revenge attacks. These are very common among the pastoralist communities in Jonglei, Lakes State, Pibor, Upper Nile, Warrap and Equatoria. Therefore, disarmament will certainly contribute to reducing these horrific conflicts.
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