The Government of South Sudan is deploying judges, prosecutors, and investigators to Leer County in Unity State for the first time in over a decade to deliver formal justice through a mobile court.
A Monday press release by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said the deployment will take place from April 15 to May 9.
The initiative is a joint effort by the South Sudan Judiciary, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the Unity state government, with support from UNMISS.
The mobile court aims to address serious criminal cases, including murder, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and forced and early marriages.
“To underscore the importance of justice delivery, the governor of Unity State and senior representatives from the judiciary, Ministry of Justice, South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS), and National Prisons Service of South Sudan (NPSSS) are expected to attend the court’s opening on April 15,” the press release said.
The deployment follows the training of 20 investigators in southern Unity, focusing on handling SGBV and CRSV-related offenses. On March 28, UNMISS facilitated the advance deployment of prosecutors and investigators to begin receiving and processing criminal complaints. More than 60 cases had already been reported before the court’s arrival, with additional cases expected.
“Mobile courts, while not a substitute for formal justice structures, play a vital and innovative role in restoring public faith in South Sudan’s rule of law,” said Guang Cong, the UNMISS Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Political Affairs, in the press release.
The Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation, Stabilization, and Resilience (RSRTF) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Juba provided funding for the Leer mobile court.
UNMISS noted that since 2013, sustained conflict and insecurity forced the withdrawal of judges from Unity State, leaving residents to rely entirely on customary courts—even for serious crimes beyond their jurisdiction. Leer County, one of the areas hardest hit by conflict, has had no access to formal justice for over a decade.
In 2024, UNMISS supported the government in deploying four mobile courts across Unity State, including the first courts in Koch and Mayom counties since independence. While no cases were decided by the formal justice system in Unity State in 2023, judges ruled on 257 cases in 2024. The growing demand for justice also led the governor to support a mobile court in Bentiu in December 2024.