![South Sudan activist Edmund Yakani. [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Djfq2jGW0AAJpdg.png?resize=799%2C410&ssl=1)
JUBA – Prominent activist and Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani has appealed to the Inspector General of Police Gen. Majak Akec to take immediate action against those he identified as “aggressive” traffic police officers harassing foreign and national drivers in the streets of the capital Juba.
There have been, as of recent, allegations from members of the public that traffic police officers across streets of the capital Juba have been harassing drivers, both nationals and foreigners, as they refuse to pay unlawful fines and taxes imposed by the traffic police.
In a statement to Sudans Post, Yakani expressed concerns over the allegations and said he has received complaints from drivers over the issue and called on the leadership of the traffic to discipline its members.
“Our traffic police officers have been aggressive on drivers in Juba City and this is absolutely a humiliation and a demonstration of attitudes that lack respects towards the rule of law of this country. Many drivers raised complains about the misbehaviors and aggression of some traffic police officers on them on the streets of Juba City,” Yakani said.
“Community empowerment for Progress Organization is urging the leadership of the traffic police unit with due respect and honor to intervene and direct the traffic police officers on the streets to act in lawful and respective manner to all drivers on the streets,” he added.
The prominent activist further said harassment of foreigners stains a bad image against the world’s youngest country in the eye of the regional countries whose citizens are working in large numbers in South Sudan and called on the police chief to intervene to stop what he calls a total disregard of the laws of the country.
“Aggressive and discriminative act from our traffic police officers towards foreign drivers in the streets of Juba City is unacceptable and a total disregard of the laws of our country. Further, the national drivers too are badly mistreated and unlawful delt with by the traffic police officers on the streets. All these acts unaccepted and it constitute act of human rights violations. It is essential to prevent further demonstration of these traffic police officers aggressive and unlawful acts. Yes, they are applying the law it should be in respective and lawful manner,” Yakani said.
“With due respect and honor, Inspector General of Police (IGP) should intervene urgently on this growing aggressive, misbehaviors and unlawful act of some of the traffic police officers on the streets of Juba City. Their negative act demonstrates the image of our nation to foreign drivers and it strongly contribute in making the citizens loss trust and confidence on our national police services. The practices of traffic police officers want to enforce the law in unlawful and aggressive manner is wrong,” he stressed.
Yakani further made a strong appeal for the transitional national legislature “to intervene too on this growing trend of some traffic police officers act unlawful and aggressively in enforcing the law.”