Lakes State gov’t mops out 76 illegal firearms

Rumbek youth led by the area chief of Matangai Payam in Rumbek County, Lake State, have voluntarily handed over 76 firearms to the state government authority.

The firearms—comprising 72 AK47, 2 LBG and 2 PKMs—were handed over on Saturday to the governor of the state, Rin Tueny, at the State Secretariat in Rumbek.

This came after the state government in cooperation with community leaders launched a voluntary disarmament campaign last month to eradicate communal violence within the communities.

Maj Elijah  Mabor, Police Spokesperson of Lake State, said over the weekend that civilians surprised the state government by voluntarily coming with their guns to the secretariat and giving them to the government.

“I am not the right person to talk about [this] because I am the police spokesperson of Lake, but what I can tell you is that voluntary handing over of the guns has happened; it was real,’’ h said.  ‘‘Armed youth came in mass and hand over the guns to Governor on Saturday,” Mabor told The City Review yesterday.

A statement from the Governor’s Press Unit revealed that the group of youth was led by Matangai Payam Paramount Chief, Majak Malual Kodi of Ruup community. The group agreed with the state government to hand over all their guns peacefully.

Governor Rin Tueny revealed that the handover happened because of the show of great leadership from the local leaders in collaboration with the state government.

He said the biggest program currently being implemented by the state government is voluntary disarmament to ensure that all the guns are collected.

Rin said having a gun in the hand of civilians was the cause of rampant killing and attack in the entire state.

He pledged his government’s commitment to continue talking to the civilians so that they voluntarily and peacefully hand over their guns.

 Youth willing

Last month the authorities reported that the youth in Rumbek East County had assembled their guns only waiting to hand them to the government.

According to the state government, it was the Commissioner of  Rumbek East County who began the process by mobilising the to youth collect all their guns and assemble them in one place so that they can be handed over to the government peacefully.

 “The state government is continuing to pass the same message to the communities. Now our governor left to Greater Yirol to deliver the same message because all the illegal guns should be voluntarily collected until the first of December 2021,” Mabor earlier said.