S.Sudan army to 'forcibly' disarm youth in volatile state

Sudanese army soldiers celebrate as they patrol in Salha, south of Omdurman, two days after the Sudanese army recaptured it from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on May 22, 2025.[AFP]

South Sudan's army said Monday it would carry out a voluntary then "forceful" disarmament of young people in an area where President Salva Kiir has announced a state of emergency.

The young nation has been plagued by insecurity and poverty despite its oil riches.

Kiir declared a six-month emergency in Warrap State and Mayom County last week after a surge of inter-communal violence over cattle raids.

The army has deployed forces to the area in order to conduct the disarmament, the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang told reporters in the capital, Juba.

Initially, it will be a "voluntary disarmament", he said, allowing armed youth in the area a "grace period of one week to voluntarily start handing over their weapons".

Then, he said, "SSPDF forces will launch coordinated and simultaneous forceful disarmament exercises in Warrap and Mayom County".

"Failure will result in the administration of harsh and punitive measures," he added.

The move follows a rise in violence between cattle herders -- a longstanding issue in South Sudan, where water is scarce and grazing lands are heavily contested.

Earlier this month, the UN said cattle raids and revenge attacks had killed hundreds since December, including over 200 in March and about 80 in recent days.

The clashes come on top of politically and ethnically driven violence that continues to destabilise the world's youngest nation, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011.