By Lodu William Odiya
A civil Society activist has called on the government to crackdown the trading of drugs which he said is triggering the growing of the youth gang groups among the societies across the country.
In a statement obtained by this outlet, Edmund Yakani, the executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said there is a growing number of the youth gang groups among the societies across the country, stating it is a criminal culture.
“I would like to call upon institutions of security in particular police specifically CID and national security service that one of the factors that is triggering the growing of the youth gang groups among our societies across the country is triggered by the activity of some South Sudanese and some our brothers and sisters from African countries that are trading on drugs” he said in a statement.
Yakani amplified his voice loudly to the attention of young Sudanese across the country and outside the country over the culture of growing youth gang violence culture stating it is a criminal culture.
“It is an accepted culture. It is not of our culture and traditions. We have seen of lately that young people and youth are effectively engaged in youth gang groups, violence, which this youth can name themselves Toronto’s niggers” he highlighted.
He underscored the trend of crackdown on traders of drugs across the country is very important for the police service and specifically CID and the national security service.
“It’s very important that we put our efforts all together and work towards finding a solution to this growing negative culture among the youth which I call it a youth gang groups because this is a potential upcoming future national security issue if we don’t handle it now” she stated.
Yakani highlighted that the generation of the teenagers keep on growing and keep on adapting this culture of niggers, Toronto’s which is criminal culture, violence, and a culture that is not beneficial to the youth and to the nation.
He highlighted that here’s a huge investment of individuals who are selling drugs to the young people, motivating and triggers and influence them by the use of drugs that are sold by some traders.
He called on the government authorities that had a responsibility to do with affairs of young people across the country to look into the matter.
“Specifically, Ministry of Youth and Sports at national and states level, Ministry of Culture, Child and Social Welfare at national and states level that there’s a need for us to invest in recreational activities for young people being at a child age until teenager and youth age is very important” he appealed.
Yakani underlined that the country need to care because the youth are the future generation that would take over South Sudan from current leadership including the current civil society activists.
“we are appealing that time has come for us to at least hold a round table to discuss a durable solution to this issue of the growing culture of youth gang groups” he stressed.
“It is very dangerous because the culture of the violence among the gang groups of the young people in South Sudan and outside South Sudan amongst the Sudanese society is becoming bad and running out of hand” he added.
He stated that South Sudanese are known that wherever they are in Australia or in Egypt they are witnessing the same growing culture and this is dangerous for peace and stability in the country’s future.
“We should address it now before it runs out of hand because as a CEPO we have done this before in a small scale in a while but we feel it has been undermined” he added.
Early this month a fourth-year South Sudanese medical student, identified as Tong Gong, was killed by unknown assailants after an evening walk in Cairo, Egypt.
Yakani emphasized that lately “we lost live of our own South Sudanese medical student in his fourth year in Egypt and lately we lost a young brilliant person’s life in Wau.
“I would like to bring to your attention young people, youth. You may engage in the gang groups as a fashion, as a style of life, but your life is at risk and you are involved in criminal act that once you are caught you will pay a very expensive price” he explained.
“If you don’t pay through losing your life you’ll pay with imprisonment” Yakani added in a statement.
He appealed to youth abstain from engaging in youth gang culture and embrace engagement in youth grouping which befits the youth and the country.
Yakani reiterated that his organization would knock at the doors of the relevant government institution to hold a round table discussion and find durable solution to the culture of the growing youth gang violence across the country.
“I’m calling upon the Ministry of Youth and Sports at national and states level that as a sepulchre we will knock at your doors for us to hold a round table on addressing the growing culture of youth gang violence” he said.