First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar revealed that the government is actively preparing to deploy the Unified Forces required to carry out disarmament as soon as the parliament passes the Disarmament of Civil Population Bill 2023.
Dr. Riek Machar made this announcement on Thursday to delegates on the fourth day of the National Economic Conference held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Juba. He pointed out that the commencement of the disarmament process hinges on the successful passage of the bill into law.
“The Disarmament of Civil Population Bill 2023 is currently under consideration in parliament after receiving cabinet approval in July,” stated Dr. Riek Machar.
For years, there have been numerous calls to disarm the civil population, but the absence of proper legislation has hindered progress in this regard. In 2020, President Salva Kiir issued a provisional order for disarmament, but it was rejected by the parliament in April of this year on the grounds of tardiness in its presentation to the national assembly.
In response to this rejection, the parliament directed the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to revise the provision and present it as a formal bill.
Dr. Riek Machar provided assurance, saying, “We are currently not in the process of deploying the unified forces. Once the unified forces are deployed, then we can initiate the disarmament process.”
Explaining the legislative aspect of the disarmament effort, Dr. Riek Machar added, “The law is currently under review by the Council of Ministers and is expected to be passed by the national parliament. With this law in place, we will have a solid legal foundation to proceed with the disarmament.”
The deployment of the necessary unified forces has faced delays, primarily due to the government’s assertion that it lacks the weaponry required to equip these forces, a consequence of the ongoing arms embargo.