Since late June 2025, South Sudan’s security forces have conducted wide-ranging arbitrary arrests in Juba under the pretext of cracking down on gangs and criminal activity. Boys, young men, and women have been detained without charge, often held for up to a week, and in many cases released only after their families paid bribes. Human Rights Watch reports indicate that young women were sexually assaulted, some men and boys were forcibly conscripted into the military, and several individuals remain missing.
The crackdown was triggered after a widely circulated video showed the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in Juba. Following this, the National Police Service, South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, and National Security Service began joint operations across residential areas. Authorities reported hundreds of arrests, claiming to target gang members, though Human Rights Watch found no evidence that many detainees had committed crimes. Those arrested included students, laborers, and bystanders, and security forces often targeted individuals based on appearance or proximity to other youths.
Interviews conducted with victims, witnesses, and relatives describe widespread abuse, including beatings, torture, and harsh detention conditions. Detainees were held in overcrowded police and military facilities with limited food, water, and medical care. Accounts include young boys forced to drink urine and women being raped at police stations. Survivors also reported extreme fear, stigma, and trauma, with families struggling to locate missing relatives.
Bribery and extortion were widespread, as detainees were often released only after payments in cash or goods. Multiple individuals described paying fees ranging from US$10 to US$110 to secure the release of family members. Some detainees, however, were transferred to military camps in Upper Nile state, where they faced forced conscription, harsh training, inadequate living conditions, and deployment to conflict zones. Several conscripts were minors, and some managed to escape after witnessing deaths and injuries among fellow recruits.
The crackdown highlights the persistent issue of child and adult recruitment into armed forces in South Sudan. Despite laws prohibiting forced conscription, especially of children, the government and allied militias have continued such practices for over a decade. The 2018 Action Plan to prevent grave violations against children was not fully implemented, and international and regional human rights treaties prohibit arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, and enforced disappearances, all of which have been documented during the 2025 operations.
Human Rights Watch calls on South Sudanese authorities to immediately end arbitrary arrests and forced conscriptions, investigate allegations of abuse including rape, release unlawfully detained individuals, and provide access to trauma-informed medical and psychosocial support. Authorities are also urged to account for missing persons and allow independent monitoring of detention facilities. International partners supporting South Sudan’s security forces are encouraged to condition their support on respect for human rights and prevention of abuses.
The crackdown reflects broader social and political challenges in South Sudan, including youth marginalization, gang-related violence, poverty, unemployment, and ongoing conflict in Upper Nile state. Rather than addressing underlying issues, the security forces’ operations have led to human rights violations, forced military recruitment, and severe trauma, disproportionately affecting children, young people, and women.
