October 3rd 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said on Monday that citizens in Lakes state urged the government to disarm youth to combat rising crimes activities in the state according to a report they compiled.
According to community safety reports in the month of September 2018 conducted by the CEPO, there has been 16 separate cattle raiding cases which has been registered from suspected arms youth in Western Lakes, Gok and Eastern Lakes states respectively in month September.
Three other cases of cattle stealing where also reported from within conflicting communities in Rumbek centre by suspected youth group from the Rup community as well as looting, stealing and night robbery which the statement said was rampant and has also been reported to be increasing around Rumbek town
“Few cases of target killing where also reported in Rumbek centre, a woman was killed with her baby in Luak-cok (Jiir Payam) by unknown criminals in the second week (9th September 2018, while student of senior four was killed in Malual-akan residential area, suspect still at large,” the CEPO said in a statement sent to the Nyamilepedia.
The statement further added that the communities have also registered number of rape cases by armed youth where an old woman of over 65 years was raped on 19th August while 10 year-old girl was also raped on 8th of September 2018 in Them-bating area of Matangai.
“Communities residing in the out skirt of Rumbek town are experiencing daily displacement of people due to random movement of arms youth around Luak-cok and Akol-jaal,” the CSO said in the statement.
According to the CEPO, “the community said all reported cases mentioned above are result of government relaxants to carry out continuous implementation of current disarmament process in the state. There have been so many reports that firearms are likely to fine their ways back into the hands of civil populations in Lakes region.”
The community members recommended continuous disarmament process, deployment of trained security personnel to carry out night patrolling around town according to the statement with call to dialogue with head of organized forces to discuss irregularities being carried out by suspected soldiers in Rumbek town.
