The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) yesterday destroyed weapons that were confiscated from citizens not authorized to carry weapons in the disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan. The destruction of the weapons was witnessed by community leaders, UN officials and national observers.
Lieutenant General Birhanu Jula Gelalcha, UNISFA Force Commander, spoke on the occasion at the Ethiopian Battalion 10 Headquarters in Dukra. He said that the illegal ownership of small arms and light weapons remains a threat to peace and security.
The general said that misuse of weapons threatens the safe return of displaced people to their communities as well as the peaceful migration of nomads and their cattle.
Gelalcha said the UN peacekeepers have the authority to destroy these weapons because of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2205 of 26 February 2015, which mandated UNISFA to undertake weapons confiscation and destruction in the Abyei Area in order to make the area free of arms.
According to a press release by UNISFA, the peacekeeping mission has built a special depot for storing confiscated weapons and ammunition prior to destruction. The area also contains two weapons cutting shears for the destruction of confiscated weapons as well as an ammunition burner for destroying confiscated ammunition.
In the press release, UNISFA disclosed that their troops have confiscated so far 71 small arms and 2554 rounds of their ammunition, and have now been handed over to UNMAS for destruction.