By James Gatdet Dak
June 17, 2009 (JUBA) – The President of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), and Commander-in-Chief of all sectors of the organized forces in the region, has ordered the forces to forcefully disarm the civilian populations if they resist to hand over arms.
Addressing the opening of the 24th session of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) in Juba, President Salva Kiir lamented that almost all corners of Southern Sudan had experienced insecurity mostly caused by rival armed civilians.
He said he had ordered the command of the organized forces this week to launch the disarmament in Lakes state, adding that any one illegally owning a gun and refusing to handover that gun to the authorities would be disarmed by force.
Kiir told the appointed lawmakers, in the session believed to be their last one, as the region expects elections in February 2010, that those who illegally hold guns should either hand them over now, or be disarmed by force in all the ten Southern Sudan states including the capital, Juba.
Inter and intra tribal deadly clashes have affected almost all the states of the semi-autonomous region, with Lakes, Jonglei and Warrap states being the hardest hit by the violence for the last four years.
In the three states thousands of people are believed to have perished in the civilians’ armed clashes, and in Jonglei state the clashes fit Murle tribe vs either Lou-Nuer or Dinka Bor, and in some cases, Lou-Nuer vs Dinka.
In Lakes and Warrap states, rival Dinka clans have turned against each other, and in some cases do clash with other non-Dinka communities within their respective states and from the neighboring states.
Upper Nile and Central Equatoria states, which were relatively peaceful during the first three years of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), have also joined the violence this year.
The recent clashes had involved communities of Mundari vs Bari and Lou-Nuer vs Jikany Nuer or Dinka vs Shilluk in Central Equatoria and Upper Nile states, respectively.
Other five states are as well affected by the similar violence, but some with minimal magnitude.
Among the least affected by the inter-community violence is Western Equatoria state. However, the state was also faced with insecurity caused by the notorious rebels of the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Ambororo migrant nomads.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gier Chuang Aluong, returned from Rumbek on Tuesday after launching the disarmament of the civil population in the state.
Chuang said there were renewed clashes during the week in Lakes state between the communities of Dinka Agar and Jur Beli, leaving dozens of people reportedly dead and displacing hundreds of them.
Among factors causing the civilians’ violence in Southern Sudan include cattle rustling and child abduction, competition over grazing lands and water points and revenges on past murders or killings during open battles.
However, native politicians are also suspected in having a hand in orchestrating or fuelling the violence in their respective states.
The Speaker of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, James Wani Igga, in his remarks during the opening of the parliament session expressed support to the President’s order to forcefully disarm the civilians.
In the past, the government launched voluntary disarmament policy which did not bring the expected result due to resistance or defiance by the armed civilians.
In 2006 a forceful deadly but successful disarmament was carried out in one section of the Lou-Nuer areas in Jonglei state under the command of Major General Bol Kong.
Hundreds of people died in the exercise, but brought calm and relative peace in the area.
However, other communities in the region remain heavily armed while some others previously disarmed are believed to have re-armed.
(ST)
حركة العدل و المساواة السودانية
موقع متخصص بنقل آخر الأخبار و البيانات و القرارات لحركة العدل و المساواة السودانية