By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Mapaw and other localities on outskirts of Gumbo-Sherikat in Juba city have been identified as primary strongholds for criminal gangs.
This designation is amplified by a disturbing surge in reports of sexual violence against women within their confines.
Mathiang Jalap Dongrin, a civil society activist, reported that residents and local authorities in Mapaw, Gumbo, and Sherikat are grappling with escalating insecurity, where armed gangs, sometimes wielding machetes, have raped young girls and women.
The recent labeling of Mapaw, Gumbo, and Sherikat as “number one gang territory” follows a video widely circulated on social media. This disturbing video reportedly shows more than three boys raping a girl believed to be in her mid-20s, with the perpetrators recording their act and later posting it online. The footage reportedly depicts one perpetrator slapping the girl while another commits sexual intercourse and others wait on the queue.
Dongrin condemned the incident, which occurred in a Mapaw residential area. He mapped Mapaw as the top hotspot for gangs in Juba, following Hai Referendum and Rock City residential areas. Other notable areas for gang activity include Juba-Na-Bari and Gudele residential areas. Dongrin attributed the high crime rate in these locations to high alcohol consumption and widespread night disco activities.
“When you look into the video, I’m someone who is annoyed today. This innocent girl was forced,” Dongrin stated passionately. “I move around Juba and I see these gangs daily in Gumbo-Sherikat and elsewhere, in big numbers of 50s. If I had powers to arrest, I would have arrested many of them.”
He further stated that after the video went viral, the incident was reported to the police at Gumbo-Sherikat, and an investigation has commenced.
Meanwhile, an activist, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case, confirmed the arrest of a young boy in connection with the incident. The boy, apprehended by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Mapaw, has since been transferred to CID headquarters for questioning. The activists said that the boy was suspected to have connection with the perpetrators when the crime was committed, although since his time of arresthe has refused to cooperate, making it difficult to identify others involved in the sexual assault.
“We believe this boy holds crucial information about those who raped the girl,” the activist reiterated. “He was with them. He has been taken to headquarters; they will interrogate him to get the full details.”
The civil society activist noted that the victim’s identity and current status remain unknown. Activists involved in tracking the case are actively searching for the girl’s parents, hoping they can provide vital information regarding her well-being. “We are trying our level best,” explained the activist. “We are searching for the girl’s parents because we believe we can find information from them. We are tracking families, asking people who know her to help locate her family so we can ascertain if she is alive or has died.”
The activist stated that the first suspect was traced through his social media page, which showed linkages to other perpetrators. When police visited the area, the suspect was apprehended, though his colleagues were not found at the time of his arrest.
South Sudan National Police Spokesperson Maj. Gen. James Monday Enoka provided further details, confirming that eight boys were involved in raping the girl. He acknowledged that the incident took place at a Mapaw area next to a valley on June 19, 2024. After the incident, the perpetrators left the girl to go home. Days later, she began to feel unwell but did not disclose the rape to her parents.
However, when one of the gang members posted the video on social media, it was reported to the girl’s parents, leading to the opening of a case at Gumbo-Sherikat Police Station. Maj. Gen. James Monday Enoka stated that so far, four suspects have been arrested, with others still at large.
“When the video went viral, many people knew her identity, and that was when it was reported to her parents,” stated Maj. Gen. Enoka. “When questioned, the girl accepted she was raped.”
He added that those arrested are currently under police custody in Juba town as the investigation and search for the other four suspects continue. The Police Spokesperson further stated that the survivor is already receiving treatment and psychosocial support services at Juba Teaching Hospital.