South Sudan, Africa’s youngest state with an estimated population of 12 million, majority of who are youth, has experienced increasing involvement of youngsters in gambling and gang criminal activities.
The group activities have resulted in the loss of lives of many young people and the destruction of properties because of revenge attacks.
The majority of the young people involved in gambling and gang attacks were school dropouts during the 2016 violence across the country.
One of them, Jacob Okwi, aka Hard Boy, reckons that he resorted to violence to punish his relatives who failed to support him and his younger sister, including failure to send them to school and hospital following the demise of their father.
“When my father died in the 2016 crisis, I and my younger sister lived with my father’s relatives. Life became so difficult for both of us because we were not provided with an average child’s needs. One day, I borrowed some money from a friend to start a new life with my sister. Since then, the gangster group has been my family because we take good care of ourselves,’’ he said in an interview with Radio Tamazuj.
Okwi says he does not regret joining the gangster life because he is now stable and can afford to live a life of freedom, which they had been missing since the death of their parents. He has even sponsored his sister to a secondary school. He revealed that he sometimes got arrested but due to the spirit of teamwork, his group members always bailed him out because that is one of the objectives of the group.
“I am not regretting becoming a gang member because it is from here that I have found a real home for me and my sister. I can now send my sister to school and that is what is making me push harder every day. I have chosen a risky life because I can be arrested but my group members bail me out. I believe that is how a family takes care of themselves.’’
However, he urges the Revitalized Transitional Government of the National Unity (R-TGoNU) to develop laws that prosecute any parents and guardians who fail to send their children to school, or to provide their basic needs, forcing some of them to join the street gangs. He called on R-TGoNU to come up with youth empowerment activities to keep the young people busy.
“Most of us did not choose this kind of life but because of the mistreatment from our relatives and the people we live with, joining the gangster life became the only option. The government should introduce laws to punish parents or guardians who neglect their responsibilities.
“I was once just passing by the road and saw a group of youngsters, Nigas, unleashing violence on people randomly. I also fell victim and after they beat me up, I decided to join the West Boys, a rival gang, so that they do not come for me again. I joined because I wanted to protect myself and, as an orphan, I could only stay with my friends.”
James Brown, formerly of the West Boys gang, said he was influenced by his colleagues to join the group, which diverted his life to consuming toxic substances and smoking weed, which made him to act violently even at home. On realizing that his life was in danger, he decided to abandon the group.
“It was my friend who influenced me to join them. They were three in number and I became the fourth member. They influenced me to consume toxic drinks and smoke cigarettes and opium. My relationship with my family became bad, as I could not listen to my mother. I insulted my father and my uncle and stole money just to go and buy drugs that we were using.’’
Brown testified that since he quit the gang life, there was much improvement in his life. He said he had become a responsible person, taking care of his family and siblings amid the challenging economic situation.
“I have been through a dangerous life. I joined the gangster life in 2009 and involved myself in consuming different substances that messed my life and the relationship with my parents. I decided to quit and stay with my family so that I can help them. If building a house takes a plan, why not I planning for my life?’’
James’ testimony can inspire young men and women who were still risking their lives in the gangster activities.
The Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, argues that young people were getting into criminal activities due to lack of jobs to keep them busy.
Joseph Bilal, a parent whose son has been living a gang life, expressed his frustrations with the direction young people were taking, citing that he frequently faced threats from his son who talks of cutting him up, or inviting his group members to do so. He urges the government to take the lead in reforming the deviant children.
“You want to discipline your child by telling them what is wrong, and it is like you are the child and they are the parents. He threatens your and life and calls you names while threatening to cut you with a machete or reach out to his group members to deal with you.”
A former gang member who chose to remain anonymous, said, he once escaped death narrowly after being targeted by the gangsters at 10pm as he was returning home from watching a Premier League football game at the Lologo residential area.
“I thank God because I was attacked near our home when I was returning from watching football at a nearby sports joint. The group descended on me with machetes, pangas and sticks before I escaped and some neighbors rescued me.”
He urged the Transitional Government to develop policies aimed at creating a peaceful environment for the locals because people were living in fear due to the activities of the gangsters.
“It is the duty of the Revitalized Transitional Government of the National Unity to develop policies that prohibit the activities of the gang groups and empower the young people not to join the bloody activities because most residents of the outskirts of Juba were living in fear due to the threats by the groups.”
Flora Kiden Yohana of the Resurrection Ministries Worldwide in Nyakuron West in Juba called on the churches across the country to take a lead in countering the increasing gang violence. She stated that the young people got involved in gangsters activities due to the pressing challenges facing families and it was the role of the church and the government to shepherd them to engage in productive activities.
“The incidents of gangsters in South Sudan were increasing and I am not only calling on the government to address the matter, but also the churches and members of the communities to play a key role in ending the youth attacks.”
She said the children brought up peacefully by the church, the government and the community would turn out to be the future leaders.
“In my view, the parents, the religious leaders and the law enforcement agencies should engage peacefully with the children in order to prevent them from joining wrong groups.”
The Chief of Juba Na Bari North quarter Council, Ronald Jacob Lorido, stressed that the gangster activities in South Sudan were alarming, especially in his area where he had been attacked in his office.
“Our young children have joined wrong groups of the Nigas and everyone knows about their threat. They recently attacked me with pangas in my office,” he said.
The Chief revealed that after the gang members stormed his office, he sat down with his members and developed some strategies to dialogue with them to understand their grievances and they managed to reach some understanding.
“We sat down one day and decided to change the strategies which involved police arrests. We managed to engage all the three groups of the Nigas and Juba Na Bari North quarter council area is currently peaceful.”
In his statement to the media on August 21, 2024, Police Spokesperson Col John Kassara Koang Nhial, emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration with the media to enhance security in the world’s youngest country.
“We need to know that security is the responsibility of all of us. Therefore, we need our collaborative work and involve the media houses on the criminal activities that sometimes happen in some residential areas. By doing so, we will be able to maintain and build the citizens’ trust,” he said.
The emergence of gangs in Juba in areas like Gumbo Sherikat, Lologo, Konyokonyo, Gudele, New Site, and Hai Referendum, Kator, Nyakuron, Rock City, Kor William and Jebel has reverberated across the country in Yei, Wau, Yambio, Rumbek, Nimule, Torit and Bor, among others.
It is important to note that these gangs have caused a lot atrocity, leaving residents in fear.
Youth gangs have torn at the South Sudanese community’s feelings of safety. Some communities have devised initiatives to promote development and help rehabilitate the deviant youths.
Social intervention, youth-serving agencies, schools, street outreach workers, grassroots groups, faith-based organizations, law enforcement agencies, and other criminal justice organizations were all being deployed to rehabilitate the youth.