Authorities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) have appealed for the establishment of a judicial system to address rising crimes among the local populations there.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj, Lokali Amae, the GPAA chief administrator, said the lack of the judicial branch of government since the administrative area's inception in 2014 is rendering them ineffective.
He pointed out that all the cases are being handled by traditional chiefs whom he said are not fully equipped to deliver justice.
“Since GPAA establishment, our government has been running with only executive and legislative arms of the government. For the judiciary, we have been relying on traditional courts and mobile court judges who come sometimes once or twice in a year," Lokali said.
He added, “Because there is no judiciary, crimes are being committed with impunity. Suspected murders we have been able to arrest sometimes overstay in detention or even escape without conviction, allowing the aggrieved to take the law into their hands by also killing or committing any other offenses.”
The GPAA chief has pleaded with the country’s justice ministry to extend its services to the administrative areas.
For his part, Nyany Korok, the Pibor town mayor, said: “In my municipality, there is no law and order because we lack any formal judicial system. That is why you often hear of killings. Also, there are no prisons, where criminals could serve their sentences and be rehabilitated before they could be reintegrated into the community.”
The local official also pleaded with the national government to establish a High Court to combat crimes.