Juba Disarmament To Kick Off: Police Another round of disarmament exercise aimed at minimizing insecurity in Juba City is due, according to the Interior Ministry. 04 April 2013
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pieng Deng Kuol told the press that a technical committee has been formed with the responsibility of carrying out the disarmament exercise. [Gurtong | File] By Waakhe Simon Wudu JUBA, 4 April 2013 [Gurtong] –The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Maj. Gen. Pieng Deng Kuol said the collection of guns would start with government officials. Pieng told the press on Wednesday that, a technical committee has been formed following consultative meetings with all the security institutions. The committee is charged with the responsibility of carrying out the disarmament exercise. “All of us [security agents] met as the organized forces, the army, the prison police, the wildlife forces, fire brigade, the national security and the heads of the police and discussed these issues [factors contributing to insecurity] and agreed it is necessary that these weapons are collected and stored,” Pieng said. “This is why we have formed a technical committee and the committee has met and worked out recommendations which I’m working on now,” he added. The time for this exercise is not yet clear but last month, the Police Spokesperson Col. James Monday Enoka told the press that the commence in three months time starting from February. “Anybody who will be found with unauthorized gun will face the law,” he said. The police spokesperson also said they agreed to remove all private security guards of government officials and the Ministry will be the one to officially provide and manage the guards, a move that will give chance for gun control. James said there is rampant possession of unauthorized guns both in the hands of civilians and government officials, threatening security in the capital, Juba. If launched, it will be the third round of disarmament by government in Juba following the establishment of the South Sudan government in 2005. Thousands of guns both small arms and big ones were collected in Juba with many from civilians when two rounds of disarmament were conducted before the secession of South Sudan. Posted in: Home, Governance Comments 04/04/2013, 5:28 PM - Posted by BUSIRI JULIUS KORSUK Just as it was stated by a right thinking man that "guns don't kill people but people kill people," it should be noted from the very start by the committee in charge of this well intended disarmament campaign that unless behavior change is instituted as an integral part of the endeavor, we shall continue to witness killings and assaults perpetrated by the "untouchables." When the security forces keep parading themselves allover the place with very unfriendly faces, who know what the public is thinking about its own safety. Its one thing to be officially part of the a security organ of government and another to be used by "those" (you serve) to intimidate those you should serve. One could argue that the country is still in its infancy and recovering from the ghosts of civil war but if we are to be respected by the rest of the world like we all want to, the so called "big guns in government" should take the lead in returning the guns they have in their possession. Only then shall it translate into reasonable political will for such a cause. Otherwise, the picture of Juba (our beloved capital) is being badly painted by a few hooligans. Literally speaking, the paint they are using may last forever and damage control may take decades. Our self esteem in diaspora is being jeopardized and we are being disregarded because of the actions of a few. In conclusion, building a nation requires calculated establishment of safe homes that merge into safer towns that eventually conglomerate into one of the safest countries. This continuum of events appeals to many eyes but until we learn or let our brothers and sisters learn that a gun neither has a place in a home nor is it a farming tool, we shall forever wonder where the "fireworks" is being cracked. Stay safe. JUSTICE. LIBERTY. PROSPERITY -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
