A leading civil society group in South Sudan has launched a transitional justice resource center in Yei River County.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Jacob Thon, the conflict mediation manager for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said the center will take the lead in helping to restore peace among communities in Yei River County and beyond.

“It will act as a research center for victims of violence and capacity building. Transitional justice is all about issues of accountability and reconciliation in order to avoid future conflicts. We also want to see that perpetrators tried in court and the center will help the commission for truth, healing and reconciliation in gathering information on what happened in Yei during the conflict period,” he explained.

The 2018 peace agreement says that the transitional government will establish three new institutions to help bring justice to South Sudan. These institutions are the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, the Hybrid Court, and the Compensation and Reparation Authority.

Jacob Thon further pointed out that similar resource centers are due to be launched in Juba, Bor, Wau and Yambio counties.

Mary Sadia, a resident of Yei town, welcomed the opening of the center saying it will enable communities to access justice. “I lost my movable and fixed properties during the conflict. My son was killed and all my seven houses destroyed. With the coming of peace and opening of the resource center, I am very happy.  We are ready for peace and reconciliation with everybody,” she said.

Arthur Beingana, the UNMISS human rights officer in Yei, said the UN body is ready to support CEPO’s activities in promoting human rights and access to justice  in Yei River County.

“As UNMISS, we believe human rights violations must be addressed through justice, bearing in mind that South Sudan has been involved in a number of conflicts. We must undertake these transitional justice mechanisms for us to redress the various abuses that have been taking place for us to move forward,” he explained.

Felix Amule, the Secretary General of the defunct Yei River State, said the unity government is committed to work with partners in promoting access to justice. “We don’t want to see people being raped and killed. People should respect the law, know their rights and it is our responsibility to become the real stakeholders in this change,” he said.