The United States government announced on Tuesday that it would be willing to provide funding for setting up a hybrid court “to hold perpetrators of violence in South Sudan to account.” It said it already set aside up to $5 million for the purpose.
A hybrid court means a court composed of both South Sudanese and foreign judges and lawyers.
Acting State Department Spokesperson Marie Harf provided more details about the funding following Secretary of State John Kerry’s Monday announcement of $5 million for “the effort to develop a justice and accountability system.”
“You can’t hide atrocities,” said Secretary of State John Kerry in an interview with a South Sudanese Eye Radio radio journalist during a visit to Nairobi.
According to Harf, “These funds will support a credible, impartial, and effective justice mechanism, such as a hybrid court, to hold perpetrators of violence in South Sudan to account.”
“Furthermore, the funding will build the capacity of South Sudanese civil society to document human rights violations, work that is critical to understanding events on the ground and that can serve as a starting point for justice and reconciliation efforts,” she added.
The funding is contingent on approval from the US Congress.