Juba — Police in the South Sudan's capital, Juba, have beefed up security to protect the lives and property of the people ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivals.

There has been high rise in murder cases in the new nation's capital in recent months. However, the minister in charge of police, Alison Monani Magaya, in his public statements on TV in recent days has been assuring that the situation was going to change.

The most publicized is the recent killing of a leading political commentator, Isaiah Abraham, who was shot in front of his house by unknown people.

Magaya said the police was going to deploy in and around Juba in order to contain the criminals who are behind the stealing, robbing of properties and of killing the people in the city.

Some of the criminals have already changed their hideouts far from the town centre to the outskirts of the city to try to avoid the police patrols. However, the new deployment which was launched two days ago directed the police forces to reach all the corners of the city.

There has been a general feeling that some of the police elements have also been conniving with criminals and involving in the perpetuating of the crimes themselves.

Monani acknowledged the prevalence of bad elements within the police force but assured that his forces were now put under serious scrutiny to identify the bad apples.

On Friday, police force had reported capturing a number of armed criminals in the areas of Gurei and Jebel Dinka west of Juba where some criminals have sought refuge in.

In the evening of Friday gun shots could be heard at 7pm in Gudele West area as local eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that it was an exchange of fire between the patrolling police and criminals who resisted arrest in their hideouts. No casualties were known yet at the time of the report writing.

Citizens or residents are urged to give information to the police about the whereabouts of suspected criminals.