By: Mading De Manyok
August 27, 2013 (SSNA) — I believe I am not the only citizen who feels unsecure as well as unhappy about the ongoing rampant insecurity happening in Juba capital city on daily basis. Since the independent of South Sudan two years ago, Juba as capital of independent state had never been a peaceful city again as before when it was regional Centre, this is because it attracts thousands of different kinds of people to live in which increase rampant insecurity in Juba thus the lives of ordinary citizens is under threat.
As we do hear all the times of many criminal activities being reported to police stations within Juba city whether day or night. In the recent killing of two police officers by unknown assailants in Nyakuron West, a Juba suburb on Saturday indicated that the lives of Juba residents are in danger if the government has no other alternative way to use otherwise to save the lives of its citizens from these criminals.
With the demonstration carried out by Hundreds of residents in Juba capital on Sunday 25th was an indication of citizens’ anger toward government of not taking securities measures to control rapid insecurity situation in Juba. Some of citizens do wonder whether the government had security policy plan in place. If yes the plan is there, when will that plan be functioning? Or will it be apply when Juba city become blood city? People can’t say we had security when the organize forces fail to provide securities policies plan that protect the lives and properties of it citizens.
On Sunday May 6 this year, the loyalists of renegade David Yau Yau militias attack Juba capital and left four people dead and driven out thousands of cattle in Gumbo-Sherikat Juba suburb, but the government never takes any tough securities measures and that attack was warning to government. It was a shocking and unbelievable attack to occur in Juba since it is the capital of national government where security must be in right channel: Lives become the trailing fere in Juba.
The rate of killing, robbing and kidnapping has rampantly increase as Jubans complain all the days about rampant killing of innocent civilians but no one to pay attention to their complain. Citizen finger points their fingers on security personnel responsible in all the several crimes happening in capital Juba, this is because many organize forces especially the police are among the accused forces because they fail to protect lives and properties of citizens living in Juba. Since the independence, Juba has nearly becoming butchery city. Many people have been killed in broad day light, and the forces responsible are reluctant to control the crime in order to save the lives of people living in the city.
To reflect on how security was in Juba between 2007 and 2008 when security was still with Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) department of Military police and Military intelligent, security situation was fairly. But after police took full control of Juba and situation become worse compare to last previous years.
When new Interior Minister Aleu Ayieny Aleu issued his ministerial order on how to control insecurity in Juba and other areas of the country. His ministerial order was very clear to all citizens as the way forward to ending crimes which I quote “From now onward, guns and all other types of weapons owned by police personnel and other organized forces will have to be kept in stores. All the police personnel on duty will no longer be able to carry their personal weapons in the public”, Aleu Ayieny Aleu, the new interior minister said in a statement broadcasted on state-owned South Sudan Television (SSTV) on Saturday. [Sudan Tribune August 17, 2013]. I wonder where these criminal come from when we have many forces patrol Juba city day and nights. We have presidential guards, national polices, Juba county police, CID, National Security and Intelligent Service, and SPLA military police forces all patrol Juba city. So, my question is: where do these criminal from? Do the ministry of Interior and Wildlife Conservation aware of these forces at night? There is real contradiction in patrolling units other Juba city cannot be patrol by many organizing forces if we need to reduce crime in Juba.
In controlling these rampant crimes in Juba and other areas of South Sudan, ministry of interior and wildlife conservation should also do some modalities to prevent crimes. Ministry should adapt the importance of community policing and citizens in community crime prevention and order maintenance efforts in crime control since citizens are now become the victim. Since there is a concerns about street crime and residential burglaries began to rise and it became obvious that the police alone could not control crime in Juba and other areas of country. Citizens themselves need to participate realize they could do something about the local crime problems that concerned those most. Our neighborhood residents could be mobilized to participate in collective crime prevention, which would get residents to take greater responsibility for local problems, increase social interaction, rebuild informal social control, and reduce crime and fear of crime otherwise our lives are at risk.
However, there is a need for more improvement in term of rules of laws by thoroughly training organizes forces on how to maintain laws and orders in the capital Juba and all ten states of south Sudan. The government had many modalities to use in curbing this rampant insecurity within Juba. Deploying more police troops along the residential areas will be the ultimo way of reducing the crime. It is our ignorance toward security that makes Juba the bloody city.
The Author lives in Juba, South Sudan, reach him via email, [email protected]