Local residents of Bor town in Jonglei State have complained about the increasing cases of violence caused by gangs, commonly known as niggers.
Majority of the gangs are reportedly between the age of 13 and 26.
Mary Ajulu, a resident of Bor town, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the gang members have been terrorizing people since 2016.
“Today, I don’t have a job and my husband is also not working. A child leaves home in search of food and this leads to niggers. They rob and commit burglary in residential areas and markets,” she said.
Ajulu urged the government to immediately intervene, saying most teenagers drop out of school to join criminal groups.
Stephen (not his real name), another resident, said some of his age-mates joined gangs due to peer influence and economic hardships in the country.
“They have divided themselves into groups like West Coast and al-Shabab. They usually beat up people and even take their phones for no reasons,” he explained.
He explained that there are about nine gang groups, including Ganja Talent, West Coast, Unruly, Sweet Life, Black Warrior, among others.
A founding member of West Coast, who preferred anonymity, said they formed the group in 2016 to overcome threats from the existing ones.
He pointed out that there were an estimated 150 West Coast group members, including 32 females, when he quit the group in 2018.
For his part, David Garang, the chairperson of the Jonglei Civil Society Network said the rise in gang violence due to unemployment deprives Bor residents of the right to move freely.
“They rape and hack people with machetes. They break into people’s houses, loot and even burn houses,” he said.
The activist urged the government to impose night curfews, conduct regular patrols and create jobs for the idle youth.
Joseph Mayen Akoon, the state police commissioner, admitted the rise in crimes, saying a crackdown on gang groups began last week.
He said at least 24 people had been arrested for involvement in gang fights, which left seven people critically injured.
John Yel Aleu, the president of Jonglei High Court attributed the rise in gang-related violence to what he described as inability by police to effectively carry out their mandate due to lack of funds.
He urged the government to fully equip the police in the state.
Reports say five people were killed, 30 raped and several others injured in gang-related violence in Jonglei between 2015 and 2020.