At least 13 armed youths were arrested on suspicion of highway robbery and looting in the Jie area of Kapoeta East County in Eastern Equatoria State on Sunday.
Governor Louis Lobong’s press secretary, Aliandro Lotok, said some suspects escaped and are at large but a joint force is pursuing them.
He told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the arrests are in line with a gubernatorial directive to all county commissioners to curb insecurity across the state. He said they were found in possession of several sacks of sugar, floor, oil and guns.
“Our security forces have arrested 13 criminal suspects at Jumameri village of Lopet in the Jie area. The youth in the area have engaged in activities like stopping vehicles at gunpoint, traders, NGOs vehicles looting everything in the vehicles that pass through their area,” he said. A joint operation in the area led to the arrest of the 13 suspects who are now in police custody in Kapoeta town. Some of the criminal suspects who ran away are still at large.”
Lotok assured that the security operations will continue across the state until all criminals have been arrested and face justice.
“The security forces will leave no stone unturned in the quest of building a peaceful and stable state. The 13 criminals will be presented in a court of law to answer for the crimes they have been committing in the area,” he added.
He added that citizens should now embark on agricultural activities as the joint forces deal with criminals in the state.
The governor’s press secretary revealed that after Kapoeta, the government will launch the same security crackdown in Torit.
Abdalla Lokeno, the commissioner of Kapoeta East County confirmed that the suspects have been terrorizing traders along the Kapoeta East, Kapoeta South-Pibor road.
“These criminals are stopping the vehicles of traders along Kasengor road. These vehicles are moving from Kapoeta East, Kapoeta South to Boma, so they stop these vehicles on the road. They looted at least six vehicles last week although they do not kill anyone,” he added.
Lokwang Peter, a civil society activist working for Nyaketreket Consortium a peacebuilding organization in greater Kapoeta welcomed the crackdown and urged the government to ensure the suspects are prosecuted.
“These people must be answerable for what they have done they should not be left because they will continue to disturb the poor population, people who don’t have guns these people use guns to terrorize other people,” Peter said. “This is really a good step by the government and I will encourage the government to maintain this spirit.”
Last week, 11 suspects in the Machi area of Kapoeta South County were arrested in a similar operation.