Gang groups accused of robberies in Jondoru
Residents of Jondoru area said machete-wielding gang groups stormed the area on Sunday – harassing and robbing them of valuable properties.
The suburban community said the gangs attacked civilians and businesses at 7:30 pm, vandalizing shops and robbing money.
In an interview with Eye Radio, some of the residents lamented that the incidents created fear and prompted the closure of shops.
“They came and started chasing people so we went inside the shop and closed the door, from there they started destructing the things and took all the money left,” said a businesswoman who refused to disclose her name.
She called on the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) to patrol the area and combat gang-related crimes “because it is the poor mothers who are suffering.”
A female shop owner said she was seated at her workplace on Sunday with two other companions – when the gangs confronted them and tried to attack.
“Those guys abruptly attacked us. One of us tried to flee with his laptop, but they hijacked him, took a machete and wanted to chop his head, then he stepped and they took the laptop. No one was able to do anything because they were really scaring people.”
“While we were sitting at the tea place, there were two boys walking, then the gangs stopped them so the two boys ran away,” a tea seller narrated.
“They came to us at the tea place and wanted to attack a customer who was sitting but the man ran inside the house so they broke one of the chairs at the tea place.”
Another young man who owned a carwash business said the thugs injured and robbed his friend of his phone while taking tea.
Police is yet to comment on the incident.
Hundreds of idle and jobless youths are said to have grouped themselves into criminal gangs in Juba and other major towns in the country – engaging in violence, burglaries and disturbing public peace and safety.
In November 2023, the Inspector General of Police, General Atem Marol, ordered a nationwide crackdown on criminal gang groups, leading to the arrest and imprisonment of hundreds particularly in the capital Juba.
