The police in the Upper Nile State capital, Malakal town, said they have arrested 75 gangsters locally known as ‘Niggers’ in an ongoing crackdown on crime amidst a rise in gang violence in parts of the town.
The state police commissioner, Maj. General Chol Atem Jongeth, said they started the crackdown in mid-February because the rising gang violence caused panic among Malakal residents.
“These gang groups have been fighting among themselves in the recent weeks. In the fight, they harm themselves using pangas and machetes and they spare no woman or a child,” Gen. Chol said. “So, the security committee decided that such activities be curtailed. As police, in our enforcement, we arrested 75 of them two weeks ago.”
He pointed out that the suspected gang members were being investigated and the innocent ones were released.
“Some of them are Senior 4 students so they were released to prepare for exams and some were released earlier because they were to sit for their Grade 8 national exams. We are only left with ringleaders. But those released were on condition that they will not get involved in gang activities again,” Gen. Chol said.
Peter Riak Thon, the Malakal municipality’s deputy mayor, said the crackdown will continue to keep Malakal secure for the locals.
“We launched the crackdown because they are killing themselves. Now, two are hospitalized in serious condition. We also had to intervene because they announced they were going to fight by February 14,” Mayor Riak said. “So, we arrested many of them but now we are left with only 6 ringleaders. There are about 13 gang groups operating in Malakal like C&D, Hot Boys, and Star Boys.”
One Malakal resident, Deng Anei, applauded the crackdown, disclosing that they are now calm after weeks of panic in parts of the town caused by the rising gang violence.