Showdown looms as Kiir orders arms surrender

By GODFFREY OLALIPosted Monday, June 22 2009
A major showdown looms in parts of Southern Sudan between government forces and civilians following President Salva Kiir’s order for disarmament of people who resist to hand over their arms.
President Kiir has lamented that almost all corners of Southern Sudan were experiencing insecurity, mostly caused by rival armed civilians.
His directive comes against a backdrop of insecurity in the region, which has threatened to derail the full implementation of the Nairobi-brokered Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the North and South.
In statement sent from the Sudanese Embassy in Nairobi, Mr Kiir ordered the command of the organised forces to launch the disarmament this week in some states.
Last week, at least 40 South Sudanese soldiers and civilians were killed when tribal fighters from Jikany Nuer group ambushed boats carrying UN food aid.
On Monday, Mr Kiir said those who illegally hold guns should either hand them over now, or be disarmed by force in all the 10 Southern Sudan states.
He was speaking during the opening of the 24th session of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) in Juba.
“Any one illegally owning a gun and refusing to hand it over to the authorities would be disarmed by force,” he said.
During last week’s attack, the armed group opened fire on 27 boats loaded with emergency rations destined for an area controlled by the Lou Nuer, according to the UN World Food Programme.
Hundreds have been killed and more than 135,000 displaced in South Sudan this year alone, following an upsurge of tribal killings. The clashes are rooted in long-standing feuds over cattle, but aggravated by political discontent and weapons left over from two decades of civil war.
The region expects elections next February, and a referendum in 2011, which will decide whether it will secede from the Khartoum-administered North.
In another development, former foes from Sudan’s north-south civil war are due to meet in Washington on Tuesday to try to pump new life into their troubled peace deal.
The conference, organised by the US envoy to Sudan, could provide a chance for north and south Sudan to settle disputes over the roll-out of the CPA — disputes that if left unresolved could drag Africa’s biggest country and the surrounding region back into conflict.
But time for settlements is running out ahead of a number of deadlines, including a ruling on a disputed oil region in July, national elections and a referendum on southern secession.
Any return to civil war in Sudan would have a disastrous effect on the country, its oil industry — which involves Total of France, CNPC of China, Petronas of Malaysia and other leading operators — and surrounding states.
Sudan’s two-decade civil war dwarfed the more prominent Darfur conflict in terms of bloodshed and regional impact.
Additional reporting by Reuters