A view of the U.N. protection of civilians (POC) site in Juba, South Sudan, Dec. 5, 2016. (J. Craig/VOA)

At least three people were killed in gang-related violence in the Internally Displaced Persons in Juba, the deputy Camp Chairman has said.

Mayen Malual said two of the male deceased are aged 17 and one is 15.

According to him, the knife fight between the two rival gang groups in the camp first broke out on Sunday and continued up to Tuesday.

It is not clear what led to the violence between the so-called Niggas.

Mayen says two suspects were arrested by the police but one is still on the run.

“From Sunday, we had a situation in the camp the problem that we have is the gang groups, these gangs were fighting themselves and three people died beginning from Sunday, Monday and Tuesday that is the situation in the camp,” said Deputy Chairman Mayen.

“They [gang groups] fight using knives this is the weapon they use they have arrested 2 people and one is still not arrested,” he said.

Mayen Malual went on to call on the government to deploy police inside the protection of civilian sites to provide them with security.

“We want to ask the government of South Sudan especially the police to come inside the camp because now we are IDPs, IDPs are driven by the government of South Sudan so we want police to be deployed inside the camp that is what we want,” he said.

In February last year, the IDPs also called on the government to carry out regular police patrols to deter persistent insecurity caused by unruly youth.

The IDPs also raised concerns over increased crimes inside the camp, caused by gang groups saying they are terrorizing them.

In 2021, the UN Protection of Civilians sites in Juba was redesigned as camps for internally displaced people under the sovereign protection of the Government of South Sudan.

However, the IDPs called on the UN’s highest leadership to review its decision to withdraw forces from some camps across the country.