Chiefs in Warawar Payam of Aweil East County in South Sudan's Northern Bahr el Ghazal State have suspended traditional court proceedings until after the rainy season.
The order announced after the council of Warawar traditional court chiefs met last week is to allow citizens to fully participate in the cultivation of their farms and enhance crop production.
Warawar Paramount Chief Santino Atak Awan told Radio Tamazuj, "This is an agricultural season and we want to stop all cases and everybody who needs something small from another must wait until the cultivation season finishes and if there are small cases like fighting, they will be tried separately," he said. "But long sessions are suspended until rains stop. I suspended them because people get delayed from farming if the local courts are operating during such seasons."
Another chief, Deng Dut Deng confirmed that the order was unanimously passed by the council of Warawar traditional court chiefs. He encouraged all members of the community to embark on farming.
“We, the chiefs under his leadership have agreed on the order and we sat and we said if we allow these long sessions where all witnesses are needed and even some people are picked from their farms to come and witness, this process may take at least seven days,’’ Dut said.