Entrance of national parliament/ Photo by Lou Nelson/13.04.2023

A member of the National Parliament has raised concern over the presence of armed bodyguards inside the parliamentary premises, describing it as a serious breach of house regulations and a threat to lawmakers’ safety.

Lawmaker Victor Omuho Ohidei, an SPLM representative for Torit County in Eastern Equatoria State, spoke during Tuesday’s sitting of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly.

He said some MPs and committee chairpersons have been entering the assembly accompanied by armed escorts, a move he says violates regulation 72 (9), which prohibits anyone from bringing firearms into the parliamentary compound.

Omuho warned that allowing guns inside the legislature puts all members at risk and undermines the sanctity of the institution.

“Right Honourable Speaker, why do some people want to endanger the rest of the members? Leave the guns at the gate, and when you go home, you can pick them up again so that your bodyguard can continue protecting you. This parliamentary premise even including the office of the Right Honourable Speaker is supposed to be immune. Nobody should enter here with a gun or any kind of weapon, not even the Speaker,” demanded Ohidei.

Responding to the concern, Deputy Speaker for Administration and Finance Parmena Awerial Aluong, who chaired the sitting, acknowledged the issue.

He urged MPs and their bodyguards to comply with existing security regulations and appealed to lawmakers to set an example by respecting rules meant to protect everyone within parliament.

“What you have raised about the guns has already been communicated to the members that they should not bring guns into the premises of Parliament. This matter has been raised several times by the Right Honourable Speaker and by many other members,” said Deputy Speaker Aweirial.

“…You must leave that gun at the gate and enter as a politician. It’s still in the mindset of some former soldiers when they move, they don’t leave their guns; they keep them as they did in the bush. But we must appeal to them to let go of that practice,” he added.