20100204
aljazeera

South Sudan's authorities are confiscating all civilians' weapons - including rifles, machine guns, mortar launchers, and rocket propelled grenades - as part of a massive disarmament programme.

The region is less than a year away from a referendum on independence - but violence and instability in the region are increasing.

Last year more than 2,000 people were killed and around 350,000 displaced from their homes in tribal conflicts.

Al-Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from Jonglei - a state flooded with weapons - on how the region's disarmament is crucial for future stability.