SPLM-IO calls to establish Hybrid Court for South Sudan
March 2, 2020 (JUBA) – The SPLM-IO Sunday has called to speed up the establishment of the hybrid court for South Sudan which should be established by the transitional national unity government in cooperation with the African Union.
The Hybrid Court, the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, and Compensation and Reparation Authority are the three mechanisms agreed in the revitalized peace agreement to achieve transitional justice in South Sudan after five years of civil war.
Manawa Peter Gatkuoth SPLM-IO Deputy Chairperson of the National Committee for Information and Public Relations told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the peace pact is designed to deliver transitional justice pointing to the need to speed up the operationalisation of the three mechanisms particularly the hybrid court.
“This is the right time for IGAD’s and African Union to establish the Hybrid Court of South Sudan because that’s the only way to move the country towards reconciliation and healing,” said Gatkuoth.
“Without implementing the Transitional justice it will be difficult for R-TGoNU to complete the peacebuilding process in the country,” he stressed.
In line with the peace pact, the hybrid court should be established within three months of the establishment of the revitalized national unity government. but before the government has to sign with the African Union a memo of understanding negotiated in 2017.
A UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan in a report released on 31 January 2020 said the establishment of the Hybrid Court has been marked by delay and obstruction by the Government.
The report further recommended to “Make contingency preparations for unilaterally establishing a hybrid court, in line with the decisions made by the Peace and Security Council, in the event that the Government of South Sudan fails to meet the deadline to establish the Court”.
In December 2019, the Office of the Legal Counsel of the African Union indicated that the draft statute of the hybrid court had been finalized,
The SPLM-IO media official stressed that no one shall be exempted from criminal responsibility on account of their official capacity as a government official as stipulated in the agreement.
Detention facilities
In a related issued, Gatkuoth called for transparency on the security agencies and detention centres as the transitional period has just begun.
“SPLM-IO calling for the declaration of all detention centres in the country operated by national security and military intelligence and any other force other than the police after the formation of the R-TGoNU,” he said.
We commit ourselves to promote peace and security and guarantee rule of law, he further added
(ST)