YEI – Authorities in Yei River County in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State say they have arrested 20 youths as part of an ongoing crackdown on criminal gangs operating in the town.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, follows a surge in gang-related violence and drug trafficking that has disrupted public order in recent months.
Addressing worshippers at Christ the King Parish over the weekend, Yei River County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme said the arrests were part of a broader government effort to restore peace and stability in the community.
“Some of the criminals are still being tracked down, but the government will not rest until there is calm in the community,” Taban said.
According to the commissioner, the suspects—comprising both young men and women—had been engaged in violent clashes involving machetes, leaving several people injured and spreading fear among residents.
He urged young people to avoid night-time activities that expose them to crime and sexual violence and appealed to parents to take greater responsibility for guiding their children.
“Without proper parental care, children grow defiant and end up joining the wrong groups amid the current economic hardship,” Taban warned.
Bishop Alex Lodiong Sakor Eyobo of the Catholic Diocese of Yei also echoed the commissioner’s call, urging young people to strengthen their faith and resist involvement in criminal activities.
“Our youth should build their spiritual lives and not be drawn into actions that destroy their future,” Bishop Lodiong said.
The appeals came during Saturday’s celebration of All Saints Choirs Day at Christ the King Parish, attended by hundreds of faithful.
The latest arrests form part of a wider state and national campaign launched earlier this year to combat gang-related crime across the country.
In July, Central Equatoria State Deputy Governor Paulino Lokudu confirmed that more than 623 suspected gang members from groups such as 4SG Slime, West Coast, ODA, Killers Gangs, and Black Devils had been apprehended.
Within the same month, police reported the arrest of 46 suspected gang members, including six women, in a morning operation in Shirikat by Sector 6.
However, public outrage followed reports that some of the suspects were allegedly conscripted into the army and deployed to conflict hotspots in Upper Nile—claims the government denied.
In October, the South Sudan National Police Service announced the arrest of 32 suspected criminals in Juba, including nine teenagers, as part of the ongoing crackdown.
But the campaign has drawn criticism from community members who accuse security forces of indiscriminate arrests, unlawful property seizures, and extortion of innocent youths.
