{"id":46926,"date":"2026-08-14T13:27:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T11:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=46926"},"modified":"2026-08-14T13:38:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T11:38:04","slug":"interior-minister-ayen-aleu-accuses-politicians-of-arming-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/14\/interior-minister-ayen-aleu-accuses-politicians-of-arming-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Interior Minister Ayen Aleu accuses politicians of arming communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sabri Dibaco <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

South Sudan\u2019s Interior Minister, Gen. Aleu Ayieny Aleu, has accused some politicians from his home state of Warrap of secretly supplying firearms to rural communities, warning that the proliferation of weapons is contributing to recurring communal violence.<\/p>\n

Speaking before lawmakers in Juba on Wednesday, Minister Aleu alleged that some powerful individuals within the government provide firearms to young people and relatives in their home areas, allegedly to protect cattle.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome powerful cliques within the government in Juba are clandestinely providing arms to their youth, relatives to protect their cattle in their home areas,\u201d Aleu said.<\/p>\n

The minister said the weapons are often intended for cattle protection but later become involved in communal conflicts, revenge attacks, and other forms of violence.<\/p>\n

Aleu claimed that firearms have become widely available in cattle camps across Warrap State, making efforts to control the circulation of small arms increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinding an AK-47 in Warrap is easier than finding a doctor, a teacher, or a government official,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Interior Minister also linked the proliferation of firearms to the prolonged delays in payment of salaries to civil servants, government officials, and members of the organised forces.<\/p>\n

According to Aleu, some individuals have turned to the sale and distribution of firearms as an alternative source of income, contributing further to the spread of weapons in communities.<\/p>\n

He warned that some firearms eventually reach cattle owners and armed youth who may use them indiscriminately when they perceive a threat.<\/p>\n

Aleu also acknowledged that some senior military officers who own cattle have armed individuals assigned to protect their herds, highlighting the complex relationship between cattle ownership, political influence, and access to firearms.<\/p>\n

The Interior Minister was responding to questions from lawmakers following recent clashes in Tonj, Warrap State, in which dozens of people were reportedly killed and others wounded.<\/p>\n

The violence prompted Parliament to summon Aleu to explain the security situation and address concerns over the widespread availability of firearms in Warrap.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers raised questions about the government\u2019s ability to control the circulation of small arms and prevent recurring violence between communities.<\/p>\n

The minister’s remarks have brought renewed attention to the challenge of small-arms proliferation in South Sudan, particularly in areas where cattle-related disputes, revenge killings, and communal conflicts remain common.<\/p>\n

Warrap State, the home state of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, has for years experienced recurring communal violence involving cattle raids, revenge killings, banditry, and disputes between communities.<\/p>\n

The widespread possession of firearms among civilians has complicated efforts by authorities and traditional leaders to resolve conflicts peacefully.<\/p>\n

Aleu\u2019s allegations also raise questions about the role of political and military elites in the circulation of weapons among communities.<\/p>\n

The minister called attention to the need for stronger efforts to control firearms and address the underlying causes of communal violence, including cattle-related disputes and economic hardship.<\/p>\n

The latest parliamentary discussion comes amid growing calls for authorities to strengthen disarmament efforts, improve security in conflict-affected communities, and ensure that firearms intended for protection do not become instruments of communal violence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sabri Dibaco South Sudan\u2019s Interior Minister, Gen. Aleu Ayieny Aleu, has accused some politicians from his home state of Warrap of secretly supplying firearms to rural communities, warning that the proliferation of weapons is contributing to recurring communal violence. Speaking before lawmakers in Juba on Wednesday, Minister Aleu alleged[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":46928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-news","category-politics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jikany-Nuer-White-Army-fighters-holds-their-weapons-in-Upper-Nile-State-South-Sudan-February-10-2014.-REUTERS-Goran-Tomasevic-File-Photo.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46926"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46930,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46926\/revisions\/46930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}