Police warns of tougher measures against COVID-19 rule-breakers

JUBA – South Sudan Police  Service (SSPS) on Friday warned the general public that it will take tougher measures against coronavirus  rule-breakers days after the COVID-19 taskforce imposed another partial COVID-19 lockdown, ordering law enforcement agencies to “take actions to impose the order” during the lockdown.

The warning came days after the National Taskforce on COVID-19 imposed a month-long partial lockdown that bans social gatherings, classes, religious services, and political rallies following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.

“Any violation of lockdown order may be taken as a serious case, and people will be dispatch by force. We will start executing the order today,” Major General Azuma Mangar Chep, the ministry of interior’s director of information and communication, said during an exclusive interview with Sudans Post at Buluk police station in Juba on Friday.

Gen. Mangar said police force would not tolerate people ignoring ban on social gatherings.

“The orders are here in front of me, and we are going to execute it. Any lawful gathering will be dispatched immediately. We are informing the public to keep social distancing. We don’t want so many people to gather in one place,” he said.

He urged the public to adhere to COVID-19 protocols put in place to curb the spread of the deadly pandemic in the country.

“We have to understand the pandemic is here with us. The police are not working out of the blue. COVID-19 is real, and it is killing many people in the country,” he said, appealing to the public to cooperate with police in executing the lockdown.