South Sudan army says disarmament key to avoiding tribal skirmishes

South Sudan’s army said on Wednesday that an urgent commencement of civilian disarmament is needed to mitigate inter-communal violence in the country.

Spokesperson for South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, Lul Ruai Koang, said the new army chief Santino Deng Wol has kicked off a disarmament exercise across the country, particularly in the states experiencing tribal conflicts.

He said that disarmament will help the nation to get rid of illegal arms in the hands of civilians, adding that sub-national violence would also be reduced.

The remarks came after seven people were killed on Monday during a cattle-related fighting in Pigi County in Jonglei State, eastern South Sudan.

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

According to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, inter-communal violence and revenge killing remain the biggest security threat in the world’s youngest republic since the decline of political violence in September 2018.

Edited by Olajumoke Adeleke