South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) has urged law enforcement agencies involved in the crackdown on criminal gangs to release individuals who are not affiliated with the targeted group.
Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO, stated that several families in Juba have expressed concerns that their innocent children have been mistakenly detained while socialising with friends.
“Some families have asked us to reach out to the authorities to highlight the need for verification during the gang crackdown,” Yakani said in a statement on Sunday.
“Over the last two days, we have received complaints from families whose children were arrested by mistake, wrongly identified as members of a gang,” Yakani added.
He appealed to the leadership of law enforcement agencies to prioritise the protection of children during this phase of recruitment for armed forces, whether affiliated with the government or opposition.
“We have committed to the international community that children will never be recruited as fighters for any armed group, be it governmental or opposition,” he stated.
Yakani acknowledged the efforts of law enforcement agencies in targeting youth gangs involved in serious criminal activities, which have been widely condemned by various individuals and organisations.
He revealed that some of those apprehended are students on holiday who were simply socialising with friends.
“Our law enforcement agencies need a clear method for distinguishing between gang members and those young people who are not affiliated with gangs. The latter should be released and reunited with their families,” he said.
In June 2025, the South Sudan National Police Service arrested seven suspects in connection with the alleged gang rape of a young girl in the Gumbo-Shirikat suburb, following the viral circulation of video footage of the assault.
On July 1, 2025, Paulino Lukudu, the Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State, announced on his Facebook page that authorities had arrested 623 suspected gang members linked to groups such as West Coast and Black Devils during a significant security operation aimed at curbing street violence and organised crime.
