A joint security force over the weekend collected 130 different types of weapons from people unauthorized to carry them in Wau town in Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
SSPDF’s Division Five Commander Major General Dau Atur Jong told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the disarmament exercise was following a presidential order.
“As security organs, we feel that there is insecurity. People are complaining that there is insecurity and that is why we sat down and planned to search for illegal arms in and around Wau,” he said. “This is phase one because the presidential order directed us to search and carry out peaceful disarmament of the unlawful guns in the hands of civilians.”
“We are not targeting any group or individual but just want the people in Wau town to feel safe and our message is that unauthorized people are not allowed to carry guns,” he added.
For his part, the state’s acting commissioner of police, James Simon Yasi, said that the disarmament exercise aims to check insecurity in the town.
“The reason for the disarmament exercise in Western Bahr el Ghazal State was to collect illegal weapons from the hands of civilians so that the civilians are not in danger of insecurity and live in peace,” he said. “The organized forces will not allow insecurity within the population and the exercise had a great response.”