The South Sudanese armed forces undertook house-to-house searches for weapons and set up numerous checkpoints on roads in Juba on Saturday, in a widespread security sweep.

Over the last few weeks there has been generally less shooting at night than during other periods since the start of the national crisis in mid-December. Authorities are still concerned, however, about weapons in the possession of unauthorized persons.

House searches and roadside checkpoints on Saturday were carried out civilly and without aggression, according to several sources in various parts of the capital city.

One resident of Souq Sitta, an area near the Giyada army base, said Saturday morning that searchers were first asking for the owner of the house and not entering homes forcefully.

Another resident of the Giyada area confirmed searches in the neighborhood, which saw gunfights earlier this month at the army base sparked off by a pay dispute involving high-ranking officers.      

Army officials after the early March incidents announced their intention to tighten discipline within the ranks. They attempted to tamp down drinking at bars around Giyada, in neighborhoods where many soldiers live.

Other targeted neighborhoods yesterday included Mia Sabah, also a neighborhood with many military residents, and Jebel area.

The searches were carried out as a joint operation of the SPLA, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), prisons, and wildlife services. There are some reports that the operation will continue in coming days.

Vehicle traffic was permitted as normal yesterday, but numerous checkpoints slowed travel. One resident complained there were searches ‘every 100 meters.’