A mobile court set up earlier this year by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to try crimes committed in protection of civilian sites in Malakal has concluded its fourth session.
“It has given us the chance to prosecute suspects who have committed serious crimes in a fair and transparent manner,” said Samuel Wambugu, a Judicial Affairs Officer from the peacekeeping mission’s Rule of Law Division.
The UN mission reported on Monday that the court has ordered a three-year prison sentence for one murder suspect and found two other defendants guilty of rape, in addition to hearing a dozen other cases.
“I appreciate what the UN has done for the people of Malakal because they have been waiting for justice for a long time,” said defence lawyer Santino Koch Thon, adding that many cases have been put on hold for years.
Part of improving the judicial system also means granting suspects their right to legal representation.
“The accused have the opportunity to present their own cases or they can opt for a defense lawyer or public prosecutor,” Wambugu said.
Following the first outbreak of fighting in the country in 2013, the flow of due process for both victims and offenders in the Upper Nile has been constricted.
As a result, offenders have frequently been detained for prolonged periods of time without a trial, while victims have had to bear the weight of their traumas for much longer than should have been the case.