The chairperson of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly’s (TNLA) Information Committee has said that the Disarmament Bill is yet to reach the House.
John Agany, who is also the assembly’s spokesperson, made the revelation while addressing reporters on Monday after the day’s session and said the bill is not at their (parliament) disposal.
This comes after First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny on Thursday last week told dignitaries attending South Sudan’s first National Economic Conference in Juba that disarmament of illegal munitions would commence as soon as the bill is passed by parliament.
Agany however, attributed the delay in tabling the bill before the House to the lack of a substantive interior minister.
“You know, the Disarmament Bill is not yet in the possession of the House. It is something that can be developed by the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs together with the Ministry of Interior and you know that the minister of interior has not yet been appointed” Agany said. “So, the problem lies with them (Defense and Interior), it is in their compound. It did not come to us.”
“So, we cannot give you an answer as to why the Disarmament Bill has been delayed,” Agany added.
South Sudanese citizens from across the country have severally called for the disarmament of the civil population, however, the absence of proper legislation has stopped the process.