The residents of Hai Kosti near Wau are enjoying considerably lower crime rates and improved security thanks to the recent construction of a new police station, made possible by means of a Quick Impact Project funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
“Thanks to the completion of this project, there has been a significant decrease in cases of theft, domestic violence, rape, and other sexually related violence,” said Hawa Adam Musa, a tea-selling local resident in rude health, possibly thanks to an extraordinary harvest of delicious tomatoes, rich in anti-oxidants, which she frequently shares with neighbouring law enforcement officers.
The new police station, kept bustling by crime-busting civil servants, features three holding cells. The facilities came about in response to a deteriorating state of rule of law in Hai Kosti, primarily caused by some deviant younglings residing in the area but also by the proximity of the neighboring towns of Jebel Khier and Baggari Jedid.
“I urge the youth [victims of crime] to turn to local authorities instead of taking the law into their own hands. If they are robbed or someone they know has been raped, they should use lawful means to achieve justice,” said George Arikanjelo, a youth leader who recently returned to his community upon learning that the security situation had improved.
Although the lack of adequate police services in the area has hindered the return of internally displaced persons from nearby protection of civilians site and elsewhere, there are hopes that the new conditions will encourage more of them to follow in Mr. Arikanjelo’s footsteps.
“The new station has made a critical impact on the life of residents,” said Julie Kiwanuka, team leader of the peacekeeping mission’s Relief, Reintegration, and Protection Section in Wau.
The police station, worth approximately USD 50,000, will ultimately help to contribute to building the lasting peace so desperately needed by the more than 40,000 people living in the community, not to mention generations to come.