Chiefs in Western Equatoria need Hybrid Court to be established

June 10, 2016 (YAMBIO) – Over thirty chiefs in Yambio county of Western Equatoria state have criticized an alleged joint anti-justice statement issued by President Salva Kiir and his first deputy, Riek Machar, but which has later on turned out to be a unilateral decision by the office of the President without agreement with and involvement of the office of the First Vice President.

The Op-ed which first appeared in the United States-based global news outlet, The New York Times, alleged that the two leaders agreed to dodge justice and accountability mechanism which is stipulated in the August 2015 peace agreement to try criminals responsible for crimes during the 21 months of war.

However, following the investigation of the matter, it was found out that Machar and his officials were not involved in the drafting of the opinion article. The president’s office also admitted that it alone wrote the article with the assistance of a public relations firm they hired in the United States.

Speaking during the dissemination of the peace agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, organized by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), the chiefs in Western Equatoria state rejected the statement of the president’s office and urged the African Union (AU) to immediately establish the Hybrid Court of South Sudan as stipulated in the August 2015 peace agreement.

Yambio County called for establishment of Hybrid Court of South Sudan should be established to try all those who have committed crimes during the two years conflict in South Sudan.

“The top leadership of the government down to junior government officials should all be investigated if found guilty, he/she must appear in the Hybrid Court of South Sudan in order to realize justice in the country and accountability,” the chiefs said.

But critics also suggested that the African Union should establish the Hybrid Court of South Sudan after the end of the transitional government of national unity so that the peace agreement may not collapse before the end of the two and a half years of transitional period.

The chiefs however encouraged the African Union, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) and the international community at large to ensure that the two leaders of South Sudan implement what they signed in the peace agreement.

“The people of South Sudan and Western Equatoria have suffered enough and need justice to prevail so that those found guilty will face the law. Because people of South Sudan need peace and development not war again so that children can go to school and allow farmers to cultivate to eliminate hunger in the Country,” they said.

(ST)