South Sudan’s long-delayed transitional justice process is moving closer to implementation after officials completed interviews for commissioners of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, though civil society and legal experts warned that political interference could still undermine the process.
The update came during the launch of a Compendium of Scholarly Articles on Transitional Justice and a nationwide Citizen Perception Survey, organized Thursday by the Federation of Women Lawyers in South Sudan (FIDA-SS) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the U.N. Peacebuilding Fund.
Speakers at the event at the University of Juba said a national selection panel has interviewed 47 shortlisted candidates from more than 100 applicants for four South Sudanese commissioner positions, including the chairperson of the truth commission. Three additional commissioners will be recruited by the African Union Commission, in line with the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
Molana Juma Mabor, a former member of the transitional justice technical committee, said the country is at a decisive moment after years of advocacy and technical groundwork.
“We are now standing at the threshold between the design and the implementation,” he said, warning that delays or political interference could erode public confidence in the process.
Once finalized, the list of successful candidates is expected to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs before being forwarded to the Cabinet, parliament, and the president for approval.
South Sudan’s transitional justice framework, outlined in Chapter Five of the peace agreement, includes three mechanisms: the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing; the Compensation and Reparation Authority; and the Hybrid Court for South Sudan. Laws establishing the first two bodies were enacted in 2024, but their operationalization has been slow.
Civil society organizations said the gap between legal commitments and lived realities remains wide for victims of years of conflict marked by mass displacement, sexual violence, property destruction, and widespread trauma.
“Transitional justice is not merely a legal or political obligation, but a moral commitment to the people of South Sudan,” said Susan Poni Victor, a FIDA-SS representative, noting that women and children have borne the brunt of conflict-related abuses.
The citizen perception survey, conducted in December 2025, found that many South Sudanese remain unfamiliar with transitional justice, highlighting the need for public engagement and locally grounded mechanisms, organizers said.
The compendium of scholarly articles includes analysis by South Sudanese researchers and practitioners on accountability, gender justice, victims’ participation, institutional readiness, and political will.
“These are questions that must be confronted honestly if transitional justice is to be meaningful rather than symbolic,” Victor said.
International partners called for sustained support as the process enters a critical phase. UNDP and the Peacebuilding Fund provided technical and financial assistance over the past four years, including during periods of political instability.
Robert Gema, a civil society representative on the Peacebuilding Fund’s Joint Steering Committee, said transitional justice is essential for accountability, reconciliation, and preventing future violations.
“If delays, insecurity, and limited funding persist, the effectiveness of these institutions will be undermined,” he said.
Deputy Justice Minister Joseph Malek Arop, representing the justice minister, said the government remains committed to advancing justice, accountability, and constitutionalism, adding that findings from the compendium and survey will inform future policy.
However, participants stressed that without transparency, independence, and political will, South Sudan’s transitional justice process risks remaining a promise rather than a reality.