Several young people arrested in Bor in connection with gangster-ism in the state capital. | Photo: Courtesy

The South Sudan Police Service has announced a national conference on youth gang violence scheduled for November 26-28 in Juba.

According to National Police Spokesperson, Colonel John Kassara Kong, the conference will be done in collaboration with the UN children agency, UNICEF and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The police spokesperson says the event will gather representatives from key ministries, including Education, Gender, Youth and Sports as well as police commissioners from the country’s ten states and three administrative districts.

“We had a very productive meeting with the inspector general of police on the issues of gang violence here in South Sudan. The inspector general of police has committed to convening an inter-ministerial conference on gang violence from the 26th to 28th of November,” confirmed Col.Kassara.

The slated conference will focus on the rising prevalence of youth gang violence, gender-based violence, and will explore both immediate and long-term solutions to these issues.“

“UNCEF together with UNMISS are here to collaborate with the Inspector general and South Sudan Police force and we look forward to this conference to find solution, to prevent and respond to gang violence”, Kassara added.

The conference aims to foster coordinated efforts to address the challenges facing South Sudanese youth and communities affected by violence.

UNICEF’s Chief of child protection Brendan Ross confirmed the suggestion for the conference on the prevention component of the gang violence across the country.

“We agreed on the prevention component of the gang violence that should be discussed within the conference and also, they discussed the transformation of the gangs from being violence to peaceful and productive youths.

“We also discussed that there should be draft communique from the line ministries on the issues of gang violence during the conference, we also discussed that the state governors and police commissioners of the state should be also invited,” he said.

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 over suspected criminal activities during a police crackdown in Juba.

They were detained following a police crackdown on rising criminal activities in the city, an operation 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 were released following investigations with some taken to Rajaf for rehabilitation where thy were release early this month.