By William Madouk
Local authority in Northern Bahr el Ghazal has destroyed about 160,015 sacks worth of different spirits of alcohol.
The types of gin brands banned include Star Gin, Disco Gin, X5 Gin, Boss Gin, Zebra Gin, Royal Life Gin, Royal Special Gin, Royal Gin, Master Gin, Fun See Gin, U.G. Gin, and Best Gin.
Addressing the media on the site, the state minister of information, Garang Zachariah Lual, said they burned about 10,000 bottles of gins, and they were among the goods confiscated from shop stores.
“We have to come here to burn these things. The government of NBGS since 2021 has been passing resolutions, and the town mayor has passed the resolution that these things shouldn’t be used in NBGS,” said Lual.
“People have still been smuggling these goods to NBGS, and this is why we are here today to burn—so that the importers know that this stuff is burned and banned,” he added.
Mr. Lual said the state government condemned any importers who still smuggle spirited alcohol to the state.
“Anybody who is going to import this stuff to NBGS is going to get strong punishment. There are going to be measures for anyone who is going to try to bring these things to Aweil,” he warned.
He claimed that the government of South Sudan has a plan to shut down gin factories in Juba.
“I think the government of South Sudan is in the process of shutting down those factories, and you know, as states, we are independent; we make our laws; some states may decide to use them in their state,” he said.
Besides, Aweil Mayor Mr. Zachariah Dut Mou said they initially confiscated 6,000 cartons of different types of harmful spirited alcohol, with a notice that if you could take them back from where you brought them, you were allowed.
“So, some traders came and did their procedures and took their confiscated goods out of Aweil accompanied by police, but others did not come from last year up to now, and what remains here is 160,015 sacks.
“So, we decided to burn the remaining gins that their owners did not want to come and pick, and we have burned them today.”
Mr. Mou cited that what the state government did to destroy spirited alcohol should send a shock and warning signal to those deceitful traders who are still selling harmful liquor.
One Eritrean trader who spoke on behalf of merchants in Aweil said that all types of gins are banned in Aweil.
He revealed that those gins were not brought to Aweil by traders but by unscrupulous smugglers. He advised the state government to deal with them ruthlessly.
On July 20, 2022, the Northern Bahr el Ghazal Council of Ministries passed a resolution to ban all alcoholic and nigger activities.
“In the discussion regarding the banning of all alcoholic percentage drinks such as Star-Gin, Master-Gin, and Uganda U.G-Gin, as well as disco Gin and Niggers activities in Aweil, after the deliberation, the council of ministers unanimously passed,” partly reads the cabinet resolution.
The NBGS cabinet then directed the state minister of cabinet affairs and his counterpart from the local government to implement the resolution as resolved.