Jonglei conference tackles insecurity

4 Mar 2013

Jonglei conference tackles insecurity

28 February 2013 - The Jonglei State government was working to create an "arms-free" state, Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk said in the capital Bor today.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of a one-day conference on small arms, Lt. Gen. Juuk urged communities to work with his administration as it continued to disarm civilians in the state, where small arms have fuelled a cycle of communal violence and cattle rustling.

The conference, which was aimed at developing better civilian protection practices through regular information sharing among communities and the government, was held under the theme "Security is everyone's business".

The South Sudan Action Network on Small Arms (SSANSA) organized the conference for various actors to share ideas on roles they can each play at the grassroots level in combatting insecurity among communities.

SSANSA, funded by the UN Development Program under its community security project, has passed different resolutions to combat small arms in the state.

Some 60 participants, including traditional and local leaders, representatives of youth, women, civil society, and security sector institutions as well as the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, attended the conference.