By Lieth Nyak Jock
Youth leader in Mayom County, Unity State, Tarir Riek Thiep, has urged the national government to conduct a nonviolent disarmament process to prevent atrocities during the exercise.
Thiep called on the government to ensure that the disarmament is conducted in accordance with the law.
On Monday, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang announced the government’s plan to conduct a “voluntary and forceful disarmament exercise” in Mayom County and Warrap State to address criminal activities, including cattle raiding and revenge killings.
The army’s statement has sparked mixed reactions among residents of Unity State, raising concerns about the feasibility of a peaceful disarmament process amid the country’s political crisis.
Youth leaders welcomed the government’s decision to collect firearms from civilians who take the law into their own hands. However, they cautioned that the exercise should not be unconstitutional, warning that the army might exploit it to commit atrocities within the community.
“Disarmament is not something bad, so what we want to request from the government is not violence, because sometimes when the army comes to a place, some will do their own things. They don’t follow the directives given to them from the security headquarters. Sometimes they ended up rapping girls, women, and sometimes shooting people anyhow,” he said.
He acknowledged the troubling youth activities, including cattle raiding, which jeopardize peace in the country.
He believes that removing guns from unauthorized youth will enhance security and foster better relationships between Unity State and its neighbors.
Youth leader emphasized that the disarmament exercise should not be limited to Mayom and Warrap States, stating that it should be implemented across all ten states of South Sudan to prevent other youth from taking advantage of disarmed communities.
“If only Mayom or Warrap youth are disarmed, we still have youth from the Ruweng Administrative Area with guns. It would not be fair for the government. The government should disarm youth nationwide,” Thiep said.
He mentioned that his leadership, along with local authorities, has already begun engaging youth to surrender their weapons before the official government process starts.
Some youth leaders have accepted the voluntary collection of guns ahead of the government’s plans, he said.
“This year, our youth have become increasingly hostile; they have crossed borders to raid cattle from neighbouring Warrap State,” he explained.
The army had given the youth a one-week ultimatum to voluntarily start handing over their weapons to the civilian authorities, and failure to do so will result in harsh and punitive measures.
Additionally, some individuals have accused unnamed politicians of smuggling weapons to civilians for criminal activities.
Last year, UNMISS documented 1,019 violent incidents affecting 3,657 civilians, resulting in 1,561 deaths and 1,299 injuries.