Traditional chiefs in Mankien, Mayom County, stand with more than 100 firearms collected during the first phase of a voluntary disarmament campaign. Courtesy of the Office of the Governor, Unity State

Mankien, Unity State (Eye Radio) – The Unity State government has announced that it has collected over 100 firearms from unauthorized users in Mankien, Mayom County.

In a statement from the governor’s office, the Unity State government confirmed the collection of over 100 firearms from the first phase of a voluntary disarmament campaign.

The handover of the illegal arms was officially overseen by Governor Justice Riek Bim Top.

The firearms were collected over two weeks following a recent peace conference that called for peaceful disarmament.

The effort was driven by local administrators, traditional chiefs, and community leaders who committed to the conference’s resolutions.

Local authorities, however, raised concerns that the ongoing rainy season is hindering the process, as it is keeping communities scattered and making it difficult to collect the weapons.

Despite the challenges, Governor Bim Top urged the authorities to push forward, ordering that the number of guns collected in the next phase must exceed the initial count.