The court-martial trial of SSPDF soldiers accused of committing crimes against civilians in Yei River County of Central Equatoria State is continuing, a lawyer said.
“In the courtroom, the procedures are moving well, the judges are friendly and can interpret relevant laws. As South Sudan Law Society, our mandate is to provide free legal aid to victims and survivors of crimes,” Taban Oliver, a legal officer providing legal aid to the victims, told Radio Tamazuj.
The legal officer said judges have heard 12 cases, but are working hard to try all cases before their final verdict.
“In regards to the legal representation, 12 cases have been heard and tried and many of these cases are related to rape, looting, and murder in various areas. The cases keep coming on daily and all these cases will be tried in the military court,” he explained.
Taban urged the judges and local authorities in Yei to ensure the final court ruling opened to the public to promote trust in the rule of law and discourage future occurrences of such crimes.
“As South Sudan Law Society, we are pushing that the court ruling is done publicly to boost confidence in the justice system. We expect that these court proceedings will act as an example in other locations in South Sudan because an army without civilians is not an army,” he said.
A mobile military court was recently established to try government soldiers accused of committing crimes such as rape, looting, killings, and harassment since the outbreak of the conflict in the Yei area in 2016.