The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) announced that it is partnering with the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice to deploy the first-ever Mobile Court to Renk Town from January 27 to February 22, 2025.
In a press release extended to Radio Tamazuj Thursday, the Mission said the Mobile Court will hear 42 serious cases involving inmates currently held at Renk County Prison, some of whom have been detained since 2021.
Among these cases, it said, eight involve Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and potential conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) offences.
The Judiciary of South Sudan will deploy two High Court Judges, including one woman, from Juba and Wau to oversee proceedings in Renk Town, it added.
The Mission pointed out that the judicial process will also engage existing legal professionals, including prosecutors, investigators, and police officers, to investigate the cases, present them in court, and ensure the safety of both the judges and detainees.
Mobile Courts provide a temporary extension of the formal judicial system and deliver justice directly to underserved communities and reinforce the rule of law where it is most needed.
“These mobile courts, which have been previously deployed in Unity, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Warrap in 2024 and 2023, are transforming justice delivery, changing attitudes towards sexual violence and children’s rights, and instilling hope in communities that fair trials are possible, and perpetrators face justice,” UNMMISS said.