Gin alcohol burned in Aweil. (-)

The government of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State destroyed more than 10,000 pieces of star and royal gin hard drinks in the capital Aweil on Wednesday.

The Minister of Information, Garang Zachariah Lual, said the state government imposed a ban on the sale and consumption of small-bottled hard liquors since last year.

He said the decision to ban the affordable but strong alcoholic products was adopted in a cabinet meeting, where law enforcement agencies have been directed to crack down on traders dealing the illicit drinks.

The forbidden drinks include Star Gin, Disco Gin, X5 Gin, Boss Gin, Zebra Gin, Royal Life Gin, and Royal Special Gin.

He revealed that the state cabinet observed that hard drinks are being abused mostly by teenagers and gang groups to commit crimes in the state.

The crack-down also aims to mitigate traffic accidents, suicidal deaths, rape, harassment, and intimidation that are recurrent in the state.

“We have come here to burn this thing. The government of NBGs in 2021, passed a resolution in the Council of Ministers and the town mayor passed a resolution that this alcohol should not be used here,” Mr. Lual said.

“People are still smuggling this thing to Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and this is why we have come today to burn them, the importers who imported them will now know that these things are banned.”

Aweil town Mayor Zachariah Dut Mou has also warned the traders to hand over any kind of star or royal gin in their stores.

“If you have your things in the stores, report to the government because the government doesn’t want this alcohol to be in the store and it should be in the market,” he said.

“Some alcohol we leave them but the so-called star gin and all the names of gin, we have decided all this thing must be burned because it did a lot of human loss to our boys in Aweil market.”

Some Aweil residents say they have been waiting for such step for a long time.