Central Equatoria State Governor Rabi Emmanuel Mujung with state officials during a security meet on Wednesday - Photo credit: CES Presss Unit

The governor of Central Equatoria has called for establishment of reformatory schools to rehabilitate youth involved in gang activities in Juba.

The call was made during a meeting of the state officials by Governor Rabi Mujung Emmanuel held at the Juba Block.

The extraordinary meeting was convened to discuss several pressing security and social concerns affecting the state.

During the briefing, the committee highlighted growing concerns about the rise in criminal behavior among young people in Juba attributed increasing gang involvement.

According to the statement issued, other key issues discussed during the meeting included the need to regulate local clinics to ensure adherence to standard health protocols and control drug abuse among young people.

‎Leon Abe Brown, the State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agency, said reformatory schools would provide vocational training and help reintegrate the youth into society.

“When gang members are arrested, they are often released without undergoing any reform. Establishing reformatory schools will offer vocational training and help reintegrate these individuals into society as responsible and productive citizens,” he said.

“Relevant security agencies had been directed to intensify surveillance to tackle the ongoing problem of armed robberies.’ We currently lack reformatory schools,” he further said.

Minister Brown said the security committee also took note of recent rise in suicide cases across the state.

He said meeting highlighted the importance of mental health support and community outreach programs as measures to reduce the growing number of suicides.

He explained directed the State Ministry of Health to continue its oversight of residential clinics, ensuring proper regulation to uphold public safety and deliver standard health services.‎