Juba: The South Sudanese government has embarked on a disarmament campaign in the volatile capital in a bid to recover illegal weapons and boost security, said an army spokesman Friday.
This directive comes in the wake of escalating insecurity and rampant killings and clashes between government forces and armed bandits at night in Juba, which have led to the deaths of thousands of people since Dec. 2013.
“The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) with other members of organized forces have begun an operation of collecting illegal firearms from civilians in Juba,” Col. Dominic Santos, the acting army spokesperson, told Anadolu Agency.
Dominic said they believe there is a huge amount of illegal firearms in the wrong hands in the city, which has seen a rise in robberies and attacks from armed bandits.
He said the army will not hesitate to use "necessary force" if necessary.
