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Ex-Street Gangs in Arua City Request Gov't Assistance

10 Oct 2024 07:42
Bakole, a refomed street gang member roasts potatoes and cassava for sale. Photo by Shamim Rehma

Audio 3

More than 100 youths in Arua City, previously involved in criminal activities, are now appealing to the government for support to start productive lives. After experiencing arrests, mob attacks, and deteriorating health due to poor living conditions, these reformed youths are seeking opportunities to break away from their pasts.

Twaha Bakole, who turned to street life in 2009 after losing both parents and dropping out of school, was beaten by a mob in 2019, leaving him partially blind. He now roasts cassava and potatoes to earn a living but hopes for government assistance to help youths like him pursue meaningful income-generating activities.

//Cue-in: “I dropped from......

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Another reformed youth, who chose to remain anonymous, shared that he joined a street gang at the age of 14 after his stepmother made life unbearable following the death of his parents. After serving a five-year prison sentence for illegal possession of firearms, he now roasts sweet potatoes and cassava to support himself. Using the UGX 30,000 he saved, he turned his life around and avoided criminal activities.  

“I saw that going back to that life again might cost my life,” he said. In 2019, Swale Taban, a former street gang member, voluntarily handed himself over to the police after serving a two-year jail term at Isimba Prison. Swale has since transformed his life, working as a peer educator and political mobilizer for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. He now advocates for other youths to leave behind criminal activities, warning them about the dangers of negative competition.  

//Cue-in: “If you want...

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Arua Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Swadik Alemi, criticized parents for neglecting their children, pushing them toward criminal activity for survival. He mentioned that the Resident City Commissioner's office is engaging youths to embrace available government programs to earn a better income.

//Cue-in: “It is very disappointing...

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The city authorities have been working closely with some suspected criminals to understand the circumstances that led them to crime and to find solutions. Arua's proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan has made it a hotspot for street gangs, who often flee across borders after committing crimes. 

In March 2024, the police in Arua arrested 59 notorious gang members and seized 15 motorcycles involved in ride-along robberies. These criminals used motorcycles to snatch valuables from pedestrians or rob them at knifepoint.