South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
Authorities in Juba have ramped up citywide search operations for illegal firearms in response to reports of armed individuals, including former trainees who fled military training centers, re-entering the capital with weapons.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Maj. Gen. James Monday Enoka, spokesperson for the South Sudan National Police Service, confirmed the operation and urged the public to remain calm.
“This is a general search for illegal arms, not a cause for panic. We have credible reports that weapons are being transported into the city, some hidden in vehicles and others stored in private homes, which poses a serious threat to the safety of our citizens” Enoka said.
Enoka added that this operation is part of a broader effort to prevent armed violence and regain control over unregulated weapons circulating in civilian areas.
According to Enoka, several individuals who were previously stationed in training centers, such as Rajaf and other locations, abandoned their posts and escaped with weapons. Intelligence reports suggest that these individuals have been gradually entering Juba, many under the cover of night, posing a significant risk to public safety.
“These people did not return officially; they are coming into town one by one with guns, and some are believed to be hiding them in the city. If we do not act, these weapons could be rented out, sold, or used to commit crimes,” James said.
The searches are being carried out by joint security teams comprising personnel from six state security organs: the army, police, national security, prison services, wildlife, and civil defense.
“Most of the criminals we encounter are people in uniform. That is why we have a joint force; if one sector arrests someone from another security organ, they know who to hand him over to,” Enoka explained.
Enoka stated that the operations include roadblocks, house-to-house searches, and checkpoints along major roads, all aimed at recovering small arms that are illegally held by civilians or rogue elements.
Enoka emphasized that the focus of the search is exclusively on illegal firearms and that no unrelated property will be targeted. Authorities plan to continue the operation indefinitely, given the ongoing risk of armed individuals entering the city undetected.
“Crime prevention starts before something happens. This operation is about protecting the people of Juba. If we don’t retrieve these guns now, they could be used against innocent civilians.”
Last week, there was a heavy deployment of the joint operation to search for illegal guns on the roads, which caused panic and raised questions about the security situation in Juba.
