SSPDF deploys troops for disarmament in Wau
South Sudan's army sent soldiers to Wau County to collect illegal firearms.
Heavily armed South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) troops were dispatched to Wau County on Tuesday to begin a disarmament operation ordered by President Salva Kiir.
Major General Wol Dhel Theip, the SSPDF’s Fifth Infantry Division Deputy Commander, stated that a six-month state of emergency will run alongside the disarmament in Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes, and Unity states.
The operation aims to improve security and prepare for peaceful elections by removing illegal firearms from civilians, who are warned that the SSPDF will deal with them without lenience if they do not surrender their guns.
Why it mattersThe disarmament operation and state of emergency directly affect civilians in four states by targeting those carrying illegal firearms.