Kiir’s party says communities more powerful than government

JUBA – South Sudan’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) faction led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit has said that local communities have acquired weapons that are making them more powerful than the government.

This is according to the SPLM Secretary-General Peter Lam Both who also claimed in an interview this morning with the UN-run Radio Miraya that the insecurity in the world’s youngest country will vanish by beginning of next year.

“Once war has happened in a country, the result is lawlessness. Our security forces are fighting the oppositions; and our communities are left on their own, they have acquired weapons and are more powerful than the local governments that are operating in their areas,” Lam stated.

The government since August has been graduating unified forces drawn from the parties to the conflict. But the forces have not been yet deployed because they do not have weapons as government has kept the narrative that arms embargo is affecting government ability to arms its forces.

But United States envoy to the Sudans Donald Both said in May last year that South Sudan does not need more weapons coming into the country, saying current number of weapons is enough to arm the South Sudan armed forces.

“South Sudan right now – from our perspective – does not need more weapons coming in and arming more people; to create more displaced people, more economic hardships,” the senior American diplomat said.

“There is plenty of room for legitimate needs for a sovereign government to deal with its internal security problems,” he added.