Northern Bahr el Ghazal gang members transferred to Aweil for prosecution

AWEIL – Authorities in Aweil South County of South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal state have transferred at least 11 suspected gang members to prosecuting authorities in Aweil, the state capital, to face charges stemming from an alleged attack on two women, including a pregnant woman, last month.

The accused are alleged to have attacked a pregnant woman while she was sleeping in September, attempting to rob her and kicking her in the stomach, which resulted in a brawl. The group is also accused of harming a second woman during the incident.

Speaking to Sudans Post on Sunday afternoon, Simon Lual Buk, the Information Director for Aweil South County, confirmed the transfer saying the gang members have been already arranged in court in Aweil.

“The accused gang members… have been arraigned in court in Aweil town,” Buk said. “It is up to the state’s prosecuting authority to decide the fate of the gang members.”

Buk explained that the county commissioner and organized forces made the decision to move the suspects to Aweil last week to ensure they face conviction for “different kinds” of crimes which could not be handled at the county level.

Lual further detailed the group’s alleged activities, stating that the gang did not only attack the pregnant woman, who was rushed to the hospital in Aweil Town, but also harmed another woman victim.

“Now it is going to be a work of the state judge to see to it that the criminal activities are curtailed through verdicts that can make the boys or gangs get afraid,” Lual added, emphasizing the need for decisive judicial action.

In a separate development, Lual Buk highlighted the severe economic difficulties currently facing Aweil South County due to extreme weather patterns.

The county is simultaneously struggling with both drought in some areas and severe flooding in others. Buk said that an assessment with international partners and aid organizations is scheduled for October 15 to evaluate the climatic crisis.

He detailed the impact, noting that five payam (administrative areas), or sub-districts, have bomas (villages) that are submerged by flooding, while four other payams are facing drought conditions.

“If you go to areas of Wath-muok in a place called Achuan, they received rain in August,” Buk noted, indicating the inconsistent and sporadic nature of rainfall. He added that the County Commissioner, Luka Thel Thel, is calling for urgent support as the local population is “suffering indeed.”

Buk acknowledged that some aid is reaching residents, noting that the International Rescue Committee (IRC) provided cash assistance to some beneficiaries last week. However, he urged local residents to support each other amid the difficulties.

He warned that residents in flooded areas are facing dangers such as snake bites, and those with limited food must secure their provisions carefully, as humanitarian aid “doesn’t come easily to them.”