Police officials address a group of youth, mainly in dreadlocks, apprehended in Gumbo Sherikat. November 20, 2023 (-)

Several citizens have endorsed the upcoming National Police and UNICEF conference aimed at addressing youth and adolescent violence and tackling the pressing issue of gender-based violence.

In October 30, South Sudan National Police Service announced a national conference on youth gang violence, set for November 26-28 in Juba.

The conference will be held in collaboration with UNICEF and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS),

It is expected to bring together representatives from key ministries, including Education, Gender, Youth and Sports, as well as police commissioners from all ten states and three administrative areas.

The event will focus on the increasing issues of youth gang violence and gender-based violence, seeking both immediate and long-term solutions.

The conference aims to coordinate efforts to address the challenges facing South Sudanese youth and the communities impacted by violence.

Reacting to the planned conference, some citizens who spoke to Eye Radio are urging the government find lasting solutions that address the root causes.

Many have emphasized the need for economic interventions, particularly through job creation, as a way to deter youth from engaging in violence and other harmful behaviours.

Other suggested forming monitoring groups in residential areas to oversee youth activities to curb violence effectively.

“I favor holding this conference to solve the problem of violence among youth in the streets, and I hope that youth will participate in large numbers in the conference to find out the roots of the problem,” said one Juba resident.

Another citizen suggests the formation of committees in the neighborhood to coordinate with youth leaders in ending gang related problems.

“With the presence of community police and reporting so that there is no chaos, because this costs families a lot as well as the country, and I hope the conference will succeed.”

“We want a fundamental answer to the causes of violence. We want to provide education to reduce unemployment among them and provide technical support for these youth,” said another.

“I hope that the conference will provide a radical solution to this problem by providing well-thought-out plans. The government should gather these youth in the sessions of this conference and provide them with advice.”

“Among the reasons for the spread of violence are hunger, dropping out of school, drinking alcohol, and the absence of family supervision. The biggest burden falls on the government to find a solution.”

Gang violence has increasingly caused insecurities in the towns of Torit, Yambio, Wau and other major cities in the country.

From September 2023 through early 2024, the police launched a crackdown on gangs in those towns and arrested hundreds of youth suspected of the acts.

In November 2023, more than 300 youths including eight girls were arrested on suspicion of criminal involvement in Juba. They were detained following a police crackdown that was widely hailed and but which was greeted with concerns by activists, celebrities and citizens over possible injustice.

Most of them were charged but a handful was freed following investigations with others transferred to Rajaf for rehabilitation where thy were release early in October.