Aerial view of Torit, the capital of Eastern Equatoria State | Credit | Courtesy

The Mayor of Torit, Eddy William, has expressed concern over what he described as a growing number of unmarried young people in Torit Municipality, after finding out that only a small number of in the area are married.

He said that during a recent public meeting attended by about 2,000 young people, only three indicated that they were married.

“Imagine when I called them for a meeting, about 2,000 young people. I asked them, ‘How many of you are married?’ Only three raised their hands. From 2,000 people, only three are married. What is it? That is the failed generation already,” Mayor Eddy said.

The mayor also assured residents that the security situation in Torit remains calm despite recent theft cases reported in the town.

He said authorities have responded to the incidents and recovered stolen property.

“The situation is normal, there is nothing bad. It was only the issue of thieves, but we held a meeting with them,” he said.

He added that authorities have arrested several suspects and recovered money stolen during a recent robbery, including goods allegedly sold from broken shops.

“It was only the issue of thieves last two to three weeks ago, but we have arrested most of them. Even the money which was stolen three days ago, we have recovered it from the shops. They broke into shops and sold many goods, but we have already arrested them,” he said.

Mayor Eddy further said preliminary investigations suggest that some of the suspects are not residents of Torit, adding that some are believed to have come from Juba and Moya. He said investigations are ongoing to establish their identities.

He urged residents to continue cooperating with security agencies by reporting suspicious activities as authorities work to maintain law and order in Torit Municipality.