JUBA – South Sudan civil rights leader Dr. Peter Biar Ajak has said that the world’s youngest country doesn’t need more weapons and that the country is being controlled through President Salva Kiir and his security advisor Tutkew Gatluak by Uganda and Sudan.
Biar who fled to the United States following release from detention in 2020 after almost two years in jail made the remarks during an interview on Sunday from Washington where he and other African civil rights leaders are organizing a rally to denounce repressive regimes in Africa.
“South Sudan does not lack weapons. There are too many weapons in the country. The estimates are, although the population is maybe 12 million, there are probably like 13 or 14 million weapons small arms in South Sudan, that’s more than one for every single person in the country,” Ajak said.
“So, we don’t need more arms. We have already way too many. We need to destroy them. And what happened in Tonj, that was great, that was encourage. But we need more like that to be destroyed, not to buy more,” he added.
He said that South Sudan does not have an enemy, alleging that Uganda and Sudan – where South Sudan obtained independence from in 2011 – are controlling the country through Kiir, Tut Gatluak, and the National Security Service (NSS).
“And who are we fighting to buy the weapon? If it is Sudan, we are already inviting them to control our government through Tutkew and through the national security people. You are already allowing them to control the intelligence,” he said.
“You’re allowing them to control the party. So, who is the enemy? Uganda controls Salva Kiir? Who is it that we are going to fight? We’re fighting ourselves. So, we are tired of that. We are tired of being used against one another,” he added.
SANCTION ‘RIGHT PEOPLE’
Ajak also commented on the latest British sanctions in which two senior local government officials in Unity State, commissioners of Mayendit and Koch Counties, were targeted with travel ban and asset freeze for role in violation of human rights, describing the sanctions as symbolic, but said the right people should have be targeted.
“The sanctioning of the guy from Unity State are symbolic, but we want the right people to be sanctioned. They have the list. They know who is on it. You have seen The Sentry report. It’s very clear. We have people that are in other reports,” he said.
“People are aware. We need to look at genetic evidence that is there and consider what is available and take action. We cannot continue to condone impunity. There has to be accountability,” he added.
