By Philip Buda Ladu
South Sudan government has deployed first mobile court to Leer County in Unity State in over ten years, in a significant step towards restoration of rule of law in a conflict-affected region.
The program is undertaken with support from the UN peace mission in the country, UNMISS.
In a press statement issued by UNMISS, the court will kick-start today, Tuesday, April 15th, and continue until May 9th, 2025, where a team comprising judges, prosecutors, and investigators is stationed at Leer to deliver formal justice.
This joint initiative is a collaboration between the Judiciary of South Sudan, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the Unity State government, with crucial support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The Leer mobile court is specifically mandated to address serious criminal cases, including murder, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and forced and early marriage.
The court deployment will be underscored by the expected presence of the Governor of Unity State and senior representatives from the Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS), and National Prisons Service of South Sudan (NPSSS) at the court’s opening on April 15th.
This deployment comes on the heels of the training of 20 new investigators in southern Unity, who received specialized instruction in handling SGBV and CRSV-related offences.
Prior to the court’s arrival, UNMISS facilitated the advance deployment of prosecutors and investigators on March 28th to begin receiving and processing criminal complaints.
Already, over 60 cases have been reported, with expectations of more to follow. The mobile court is anticipated to handle both criminal and civil matters.
Guang Cong, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political) for UNMISS, emphasized the importance of this initiative,
“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” he stated.
The deployment of the Leer mobile court has been made possible through financial support from the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation, Stabilization and Resilience (RSRTF) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Juba.
Sustained conflict and insecurity since 2013 forced the withdrawal of judges from Unity State, leaving residents to rely solely on customary courts, even for serious crimes beyond their jurisdiction.
Leer County, particularly hard-hit by the conflict, has lacked access to formal justice mechanisms for more than a decade.
In 2024, UNMISS supported the government in deploying four mobile courts across Unity State, marking the first such deployments in Koch and Mayom counties since South Sudan’s independence.
While no cases were decided by the formal justice system in Unity State in 2023, these mobile courts facilitated the resolution of 257 cases in 2024, highlighting the growing demand for access to justice. This demand also prompted the Governor to support a mobile court in Bentiu in December 2024.