By Peter Kuol
Police in Bor has arrested more than 16 gang members this week following increased patrols in the town.
The arrests follow recent violence between two gangs, Black Warrior and Westcoast.
Major General John Bak, Jonglei State Police Commissioner, said that police have intensified efforts to reduce crime in Bor.
“We arrested more than 16, we are planning to take them to a far place because these children don’t listen, we do arrest them but when they are arrested and investigated, they find their own way again to come back, this bad, we are taking them far away this time,” John said.
Police attribute the rise in gang activity partly to the country’s economic hardship.
General Bak explained that gang members from different groups often clash, causing property damage and losses for residents, despite police intervention.
“We are appealing to the parents of these children because they are their children, and they should talk, talk to them,” Bak added.
According to the Police Commissioner, the security situation in Bor is currently relatively calm, and police are working to address criminal activity and investigate those arrested.
General Bak urged parents to play a more active role in guiding their children away from harmful behaviors.
In January, shops belonging to Sudanese traders in Bor were vandalized in a gang-related looting incident, with perpetrators citing anger over the killing of South Sudanese in Wat-Madeni-Al Gezira State, Sudan.