Public awareness training on small arms control begins in Aweil

By Hou Akot Hou

At least 75 security officers are attending public awareness training on small arms prevention and control in Aweil town of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State.

Kuol Gabriel Nyok, a facilitator of the training said on Monday that the training aims to control proliferation of small arms in the hands of civilians that has caused insecurity in the state.

 “The aim of the training is that we want to dispel the notion of gun ownership by unauthorized people in the community. This is contributing to violence and robberies,” Gabriel told journalists in Aweil town.

The four-day training is being attended by police, security service personnel, traffic, fire fighters and criminal intelligence police officers.

 Gabriel revealed more than1,600 guns are illegally in the hands of civilians in the state.

He said the trainees upon completing the workshop will become trainers of other people across the state.

“Our young men are causing insecurity; women are the eyes of the community. You can start with your husband and son, if you see your son holding a gun illegally you are compelled to warn him,”Adut Bulo a participant from the police department said.

 The national transitional government is struggling to disarm civilians following years of civil conflict.

Civilian disarmament is covered under the 2018 revitalized peace agreement that ended the civil conflict that broke out in December 2013.