Small Arms proliferation and Destabilization of New Republic of South Sudan

Once the independence of New Republic of South Sudan is confirmed in July, it will be already faced with insecurity due to active insurgence posed by different rebel groups. Time maybe limited to address the grievances of these groups and get it solved.

The issue is not how to solve the grievances, but, it is rather, how to stop small arms proliferation in South Sudan.

Sale of small arms is lucrative business and South Sudan is an attractive market as of now. There are many reasons why the communities would like to buy and keep weapons. The underlying cause of owning arms is protection. The communities feel they are not protected by the state; therefore, they are taking the law in their hands. Keeping weapons can lead to criminal purposes. The twenty years of civil war have by and large disintegrated Southern tribes and developed hatred and resentment. Stronger tribes have subdued weaker tribes by taking their properties and land using arms from institution like SPLA or given to them by their politicians in the government.

The government in the South, since their inception in 2005 has been weak in terms of having control all over the South and reinforcing rule of law. The forced disarmament policy in Lau Nuer area was counter-productive because it was met with fierce resistance and many civilians lost their lives in the process.

The government was using segregation policy among its citizens favoring certain ethnic group over the others. This kind of nepotism has cause disparities among the citizens. It looks that, one ethnic group has taken over the military, economic and political superiority into in order to rule and subdue other ethnicities. The Bongo tribe, for instance, in Tony and Kaujwok in Bahr el Ghazal, are about to extinct due to suppression by the Dinka. This tribe is so weak that they cannot even defend themselves or acquire weapons for protection.

The government did not envisage that one day; spread of small arms could destabilize the region. Otherwise proper steps could have been taken to monitor these arms.

The borders of Southern Region are porous and impossible to control. Arms can filter into Southern Sudan with ease. Libya and Darfur are additional sources of arms that will find their destination in the South. SPLA is not in control of their arms getting into the hands of the communities. They actually participate in giving out arms to their respective communities. SPLA cannot be a national army since they only pay allegiance to their kinsmen and work on bounty bases. Pay me I will do the job for you. Unemployment among the youth is an additional factor in acquiring arms as a source of living. "I will live on my own". North Sudan will let it loose for arms to be brought into the South after independence. Black market profiteers on small arms including top SPLA generals are looking into South Sudan for sale of arms.

Then given the boiling turmoil among Southern communities with the support of the government, then we are in the situation of Somalia. The ground is now rape for another civil war.

Well, it never rains in South Sudan, but, pour. The problems of the New Independent South Sudan are many, multiple and complex, but, the issue of small proliferation has caught us in the bug.

Yorwin Otor can be reach at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.