Mobile court in Renk to bring justice to South Sudan
A court has been set up in the far northern town of Renk in South Sudan, in an effort to restore judicial trust and maintain law and order in the region according to Africa News on February 25th.
The mobile court has managed to bring some justice to a region in which it has been sorely missed.
The court was jointly set-up by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), national and state judicial bodies and international partners.
In its first three weeks, the court has already managed to process 54 cases.
Renk has struggled to maintain law and order and, ‘Since 2021, the Renk County Court has faced a lot of challenges due to the lack of a High Court Judge, the pending cases had risen to more than 60, including murder, rape, and drug abuse.’
The mobile court has helped to build trust in the legal system.
The fact that new cases are being registered after the culmination of previous hearings has meant that confidence in the system has been growing.
As well as creating the mobile courts, UNMISS has also provided technical support, training and infrastructure that will transform South Sudan’s justice system.
The new measures will include improving community policing, increasing the capacity of judicial, corrections and prison offices and building new police and court houses.
Criminality and violence have been serious issues as the country has endured decades of conflict.
However, the civil war to the north in neighbouring Sudan has exacerbated the issue as the civilian population continues to suffer under brutal conflict.
South Sudan is experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, as reported by Maghrebi on December 24th 2024, and the influx of refugees has put a strain on the countries already stretched resources.
On January 17th, a curfew was introduced in the Sudanese capital of Juba due to rioting against the killing of South Sudanese civilians by the army and its allies, as reported by Maghrebi.
Africa News , Maghrebi, Maghrebi
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa? Enter your email address and name to receive our weekly newsletter.
