South Sudanese security forces have carried out sweeping arbitrary arrests of boys, young men and women in the capital, Juba, since late June 2025, subjecting detainees to torture, extortion and forced conscription, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Wednesday.
The rights group said the arrests were conducted under the pretext of a crackdown on criminal gangs following reports of rising youth violence in the city. In at least one raid, police officers beat and raped women in custody, the organization said.
“Security forces have arbitrarily detained, extorted and forcibly conscripted dozens of boys and young men, and raped young women,” said Nyagoah Tut Pur, South Sudan researcher at Human Rights Watch. She called on authorities to release those unlawfully detained and hold perpetrators accountable.
Human Rights Watch said it conducted remote interviews between Aug. 7 and Nov. 23 with 37 people, including victims and relatives, as well as civil society activists and United Nations child protection experts. Three of those interviewed were children.
The group said it wrote to police and military spokespersons on Dec. 10 seeking comment on its findings but received no response.
Youth violence and gang activity have increased in South Sudan over the past decade, fueled by poverty, unemployment, displacement and prolonged conflict. In mid-June 2025, a video circulated on social media showing the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in Juba by alleged gang members, prompting public outrage.
Soon afterward, the National Police Service, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and the National Security Service launched joint operations across residential neighborhoods of the capital. While authorities initially described the campaign as a seven-day operation starting in early July, witnesses told Human Rights Watch that arrests continued through the end of 2025.
By early July, authorities said at least 600 suspected gang members had been arrested. In October, police announced the arrest of 32 alleged criminals and the seizure of weapons, saying criminal proceedings would follow. Human Rights Watch said it could not verify any prosecutions related to gang activity beyond the gang rape case, in which 13 suspects were arrested and seven charged.
According to the report, boys and young men were often targeted while walking or gathering in groups. Detainees described beatings in police stations and military facilities, overcrowded detention conditions, and a lack of food and water.
Several former detainees said they were released only after relatives paid money or provided goods to security personnel. Others said they were transferred to military camps in Upper Nile state, where fighting has intensified since early 2025. Human Rights Watch said some detainees were forced into combat roles, while others were compelled to perform labor for soldiers.
At least four families told the group that relatives detained by security forces remain missing, with authorities refusing to disclose their whereabouts.
Police authorities denied allegations of forced conscription in comments to local media in August, saying the operation targeted criminals and that some detainees were moved outside Juba due to overcrowding. Human Rights Watch said it could not independently confirm that explanation.
South Sudanese law and international treaties ratified by the country prohibit arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and the recruitment of children by armed forces. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that detention of minors should be used only as a last resort.
Human Rights Watch urged the government to end arbitrary arrests, investigate allegations of abuse, disclose the whereabouts of missing detainees and allow independent monitors access to military barracks. It also called on international partners to condition support for South Sudan’s security forces on respect for human rights.
“Instead of addressing crime, security forces have used this campaign to commit serious abuses against marginalized youth,” Pur said.