Civilians Have More Guns In Juba Senior Police Chief Admits As Crime Rate Escalates

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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South Sudan’s Deputy Inspector General of Police says crime in Juba is spiraling out of control and criminals have become more intelligent than the South Sudan Police in Juba.

General Andrew Kuol said the civilian population was now more armed than the Police forces making it difficult for police to control armed crimes and insecurity in the capital.The senior Police officer said he would like to see a comprehensive disarmament in the capital Juba.

This comes after two dead bodies of motorcycle transporters being  found lying in the street of Juba city. The killers have not yet been apprehended by the police which said it is hunting for the killers.

Deputy Police Chief, Lt General Andrew Kuol, while addressing  in Juba,said that the police could no longer cope up with crime rates and insecurity hitting the capital.

“Criminals are now very intelligent they counter, wherever they see there is no visibility of police.The Police can not be everywhere, so the criminals take advantage and exploit the empty gaps left by the police, '' said said Andrew Kuol Gen Kuol  adding that the Capital lacks enough Police to handle crime.

He said that the criminals move immediately to where the Police is not  so this is a vicious circle of the threat.

According to police,insecurity in the capital Juba has reached a record high with daily reports of shooting, armed robbery, killings and kidnappings which have now become a daily occurrence in South Sudan’s capital.

5 days ago, according to police,unknown gunmen stormed Gudele Police station in northern part of Juba killing one police officer and taking more than 10 guns from the police station.

Another incident cited by police,recently armed gunmen stormed a hotel killing two foreigners later identified to be Eritreans.Other  foreigners have also been caught up in crime. Last month two aid workers were stopped and raped at gunpoint.

Last weekend armed men, believed to be from the army, raided Juba Malakia Police Station ordering police to release one of their colleagues which had been earlier arrested for robbery, the standoff ended up in shooting of one policeman.

A few days ago,Juba was held at standstill when Police Protesters went on a shooting rampage for several hours protesting lack of salaries for several months.

According to one of the government's critics, Agol Chal,South Sudan government has been using nearly 40% of the country’s budget got from oil to fund the war in Upper Nile region leaving the security in capital and various  states to the communities.

He said that it is not clear if the money is properly utilized by the concerned government institutions to train, arm and pay the Police and other organized forces.

Chal said that president Salva Kiir’s government is said to have used nearly $500 million dollars of the country’s budget on Security, but Police and other organized forces including the army often complain of lacking equipment and regularly go without salaries for many months.

When asked by the reporter why criminals are never caught or arrested, the deputy inspector replied by said those who are committing the crimes in Juba are ‘still’ being hunted but have not yet been arrested.

The recently signed peace agreement between south Sudan and the rebels that have been fighting it for over two years calls for formations of a new Joint Police Force based on a new formation which includes both sides of the country’s warring parties.According to the peace accord, the New Joint Police Force will take up all security duties inside the capital Juba, including patrol and protection of citizens in Juba and also in the other states.

The warring parties have agreed to form a joint police force comprising of 1500 personnel each during a security workshop in Ethiopia, but have failed to agree on other aspects of the security arrangement for the capital including composition of the Presidential Guard and Guards Forces.

President Kiir’s regime still insists the new Police force to be formed should remain under his command and headed by his Inspector General, a requirement which the armed oppositions has rejected.