South Sudan establishes mobile court in northern state to provide prompt justice, reduce crime

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The South Sudanese government has established a mobile court in Leer County in the country’s northern Unity State to address a surge in serious crimes, the UN Mission in South Sudan said on Monday.

The initiative — a joint effort between South Sudan’s judiciary, Ministry of Justice, Unity State authorities, and the UN Mission in South Sudan — aims to tackle offenses including murder, sexual and gender-based violence, conflict-related sexual violence, and forced or early marriage.

“Mobile courts, while not a substitute for formal justice structures, play a vital and innovative role in restoring public faith in South Sudan’s rule of law architecture,” said Guang Cong, deputy special representative of the UN Secretary-General.

The court is scheduled to begin operations Tuesday and will be formally inaugurated by the Unity State governor, alongside senior officials from the judiciary, Ministry of Justice, South Sudan National Police Service, and National Prisons Service of South Sudan.

The UN Mission in South Sudan deployed prosecutors and investigators to Leer on March 28 following the training of 20 new investigators in southern Unity State to handle cases involving sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related offenses. Over 60 cases were filed before the mobile court’s arrival, with more expected to come according to the UN mission.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 following a referendum.

However, it has remained mired in conflict since December 2013, when President Salva Kiir Mayardit dismissed and accused then–Vice President Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

Despite peace deals signed in 2018 and 2022, instability persists.

In February, a militia group known as the White Army, largely made up of members of Machar’s Nuer ethnic group, seized a town in the Upper Nile State. In response, several generals and government ministers affiliated with Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition were detained.

President Kiir urged calm on March 7, stating: “We will not allow our country to return to war. The government will address this crisis.” However, reports later emerged claiming that Machar had been placed under house arrest.

Several countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, China, Norway, Poland, Spain, Malaysia, and Austria, have also issued travel advisories for South Sudan due to the ongoing unrest.