A mobile court, the first of its kind, is being established to address cases of rape, revenge killings, and cattle raiding in Mayom County, Unity State, according to a local official.

Samuel Mathok Puok, the Legal Advisor for Administration in Unity State, told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday that this court aims to provide residents with access to justice without the need to travel long distances.

Mathok clarified that the mobile court team will be stationed in the county for thirty days to review pending cases, striving to deliver justice to the community.

“We are here in advance to inform the Mayom County community about the ongoing mobile court, aimed at resolving conflicts such as rape, revenge killings, cattle raiding, and other historical cases in Mayom,” he stated.

The mobile court team arrived in Mayom County on April 15th to investigate cases before the establishment of the first mobile court in the country, scheduled for next Tuesday. This initiative follows investigations by the UNMISS Department of Laws into cases requiring justice across the county.

“The court will address 47 major cases, including murder, rape, and armed robberies. We will begin reviewing these cases immediately next week, as some have been pending for over ten years,” stated Puok.

The establishment of the mobile court is supported by the UNMISS Department of Rule of Law, responding to concerns about prisoners sentenced without due process.

Luka Chierey, the Commissioner of Mayom County, welcomed the mobile court’s establishment, anticipating it will help clear the backlog of cases and address the plight of suspects in prisons. The cases to be addressed by the mobile court are divided into three categories: rape, revenge killings, and cattle raiding.

“This is the first time the mobile court team has come to Mayom for a 30-day session. The court will commence next Tuesday and conclude on June 6th. It marks the first-ever mobile court in Mayom County since South Sudan’s independence. The team representing the Department of Rule of Law in UNMISS is responsible for this endeavour,” Chierey clarified.

Chierey also advocated for the reinstatement of the Mayom judiciary to operate locally alongside the mobile courts, enhancing their efforts.

Gattuor Chan Makuac, Director General at the State Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare, praised the establishment of the mobile court, stating it will enhance justice delivery for inmates who have been imprisoned without trial. Makuac urged local community members to avoid resorting to violence to prevent lengthy legal proceedings.

Two months ago, a mobile court was established in Koch County, leading to the sentencing of several long-term prisoner members.