The residents of Jondoru in Juba are calling for the urgent deployment of security forces to curb recurring night robbery and violent sexual assaults on women by a group of armed criminals.

Since 2019, they said, many women have been gang-raped by armed assailants who also killed and robbed people of their belongings without government’s intervention despite multiple reports to the police.

“We don’t know what the government is doing about our situation. We are not happy; we always have sleepless nights with little hope of seeing the next day. We need peace and we need security,” Rose Moja 45, a resident of Jondoru appealed to the government in a wailing comment to The City Review.

Moja said her 58-year-old neighbor was raped, killed, and dumped in the bush in May this year adding that though three suspects were later arrested, they were handled with impunity and were not tried publicly for the violence they have committed.

“It is so sad that such things are happening to us while authorities are watching without taking appropriate action to prevent. For how long are we going to live this way?” she asked.

A 20-year-old survivor who sought anonymity told The City Review that life was difficult for her in the area because of fear that the perpetrators could come back any day, any time.

“I am living in fear. I cannot imagine what will happen if they come again because there are no people to protect us here,” she said worriedly.

Sarah Bint Yusuf, STEWARDWOMEN Project Officer said her organization recently treated six rape survivors in the area and two were still under investigation with the possibility of many more showing up gradually due to stigmatization.

Sarah said they offered psychosocial support and engaged survivors in resilient community livelihood activities to ensure they have sustainable access to basic needs.

“There is a serious need for security in this area because we have witnessed cases of rape and killings. And we have come to realize that at least in a month there must be cases of either rape or murder in Jondoru, last month there were two cases of murder. Two boys were killed and perpetrators were not found,” Sarah stressed.

Jondoru, one of the Rajaf Payam residential areas located south-west of the Juba suburb has only one secondary school without primary school with poor roads, no police post, and no health care unit.

According to Chief James Donald, the major plight of women is rampant insecurity in the area. He urged the government to establish a police post as soon as possible for security to prevail in Jondoru Residential Area.

“Our area is not secure because Jondoru has no security. In any place where there are civilians, police posts must be established to protect them. We need Rajaf County to look into the matter,” said Donald.

Armed robbery and violent sexual assaults on women are not the only challenges facing the Jondoru Residential Area as members of the community also wrestle with a lack of basic services such as health and education centers.

“If a woman wants to deliver, no nearby hospital or children want to go to school, there is no school. Where do they think people of Jondoru access these services?” asked Donald.

Authorities are yet to respond to the matter. However, following a protest by a group of women who called out the government to act against impunity on sexual violence-related cases last month, the police said they were working to provide adequate security to people in Juba and other parts of the country to ensure there were no cases of unknown gunmen in South Sudan.