A new mobile court is bringing justice to South Sudan civilians

In an initiative supported by the United Nations, a mobile court is being deployed to the Pibor region of South Sudan, according to Africa News on August 14th.

Greater Pibor is an area of Sudan with a vibrant culture, traditions and history, but is ridden with crime.

Cattle raiding, sexual violence, and child abduction are now part of the culture and a source of conflict between communities.

Criminals in Pibor, and more widely across South Sudan, often are not held accountable and therefore go unpunished.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan is assisting the deployment of a mobile court, along with the South Sudan Reconciliation, Stabilization, Resilience Trust Fund.

The United Nations Mission has also built a new courthouse, and is advocating for investment in a new prison and functioning police stations. 

Successes of the court so far include 16 complex criminal cases adjudicated over 4 weeks, with five offenders convicted.

A further 10 civil cases were also resolved, mostly land disputes which are a significant source of tension and conflict in the Pibor region.

This mobile court is the second to arrive in Pibor in 2025, and brings the total numbers of cases addressed up to 61: 37 criminal and 24 civil cases.

On February 28th it was reported that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan had contributed to setting up a mobile court in Sudan’s northern town of Renk, another area lacking justice.

In three weeks, the court in Renk processed 54 cases, further demonstrating the success that these mobile courts can have in areas lacking in justice and infrastructure to bring criminals to justice.

South Sudan is currently suffering a political crisis, contributing to lack of governmental support for this issue, with the peace deal signed in 2018 in danger of unraveling.

Africa News/Maghrebi