By Kiden Stela Mandela
The capital, Juba, is under siege, not by a foreign army, but by its own youth. A wave of ruthless gang activity is sweeping through our streets, with young men moving brazenly with sharp, broken bottles, machetes (pangas), and even pistols and guns. Their main target? Ordinary citizens and their belongings. They strike without mercy, looting people even inside public transport, the Rickshaws (Raksah), shattering the fragile peace of our city.
This is an inexcusable tragedy. These are young men who should be in schools, preparing to be the future leaders of South Sudan. Instead, they are causing atrocities, exchanging their books for weapons, and their studies for a life of robbery and sometimes even murder. Their actions are a direct affront to the community and the very idea of a functioning government.
The brazen nature of these attacks, cutting a human being with a panga or shooting them for their property, begs fundamental questions that citizens are loudly asking: How do these gangs acquire the money to buy guns? What is the legal framework governing gun ownership in South Sudan?
Who is authorized to carry a weapon 24 hours a day?
If the army and police are not solely responsible for maintaining security, and if armed gangs continue to escalate the threat, perhaps it’s time for the government to consider a drastic measure: of reducing or putting an end to the gang activities. It’s a painful thought, but the current situation of mass insecurity demands a stark re-evaluation of security policy.
The tragedy is compounded by a deep sense of impunity. Time and again, these armed suspects are arrested only to be released from prison within the shortest time, often without proper trial or serving their terms. This sends a clear, toxic message: crime pays, and the law is a suggestion. This is why the violence persists, making it difficult for citizens to move freely, even during the daytime. Juba, our capital, feels less and less like our own country, robbing us of our basic rights to safety and enjoyment.
The surging rate of robbery suggests two deeply troubling possibilities: either the order has been ignored and has lost its resolve, or and this is a chilling fear among citizens, some members of the very forces tasked with protecting us are now part of the problem.
This cycle of violence also catches the most vulnerable. We have buried our children, relatives, and husbands, often the ‘hustlers’ striving for an honest living in a country with high unemployment, whose lives were brutally cut short by these armed, motorcycle-riding gangs using illegal weapons.
The time for half-measures is over. It is a bad practice that is costing us our future leaders. If the government and, indeed, the parents of these youths do not intervene decisively and early, South Sudan will not have a future worth inheriting.
I urgently appeal to the Government of South Sudan to take a firm stand: Strengthen Citizen Protection: Mobilize all forces to protect citizens and their properties immediately. Enforce the Rule of Law: Arrest these gangs and ensure they face the full force of the law, serving their terms completely and undergoing proper rehabilitation and discipline. Address Gun Proliferation: Launch a comprehensive investigation into the source of illegal weapons and hold accountable those who facilitate their distribution.
Our nation’s future depends on the actions taken today.
God Protect South Sudan.
Be a Spectator no longer!