Juba, South Sudan,
June 25, 2021 – The establishment of the Hybrid Court without accomplishing the Security Arrangements enshrined in Chapter Two of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan will make little sense, the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) has said.
The Council urged signatories to the agreement not to consent to the formation of the court until Chapter Two of the pact is implemented and disarmament done.
“This Hybrid Court should under no circumstances be accepted to be constituted by all political and military activists before the implementation of the “Security Arrangements”, particularly the formation of the National Army and subsequent removal of the floating armaments in the hands of unauthorized militias and the civil population that use them with impunity for criminal purposes, like cattle raiding, revenge killing, etc.,” it says in a statement extended to Nyamilepedia.
JCE says there were many other peace-establishing prerequisites that need to be accomplished such as compensation of victims of violence.
“There are paramount peace-building prerequisites that must be enacted or accomplished before accountability and judgment are pronounced. For instance, compensation, Peace and Healing process should precede any accountability and punitive action in order not to prejudice cordial coexistence amongst the communities,” it says in a statement issued by Joshua Dau Diu, the council’s Co-Chair.
JCE, a group the reiterated that it is committed to working for lasting peace in the whole of South Sudan says the establishment of the Hybrid Court would have little impact on political criminals who are still in possession of firearms.
“The premature establishment of the Hybrid Court is certainly and obviously a reasonable ground for those political and military leaders who are already sanctioned and/or indicted or are about to face charges for having committed crimes against humanity but still in full control of their armed militia forces to refrain from engaging in the implementation process.
“How can a sane person who is fully aware of numerous murderous offenses he has committed freely relinquish or surrender power and voluntarily walk into the prison jail? Many leaders: whether in the government or in the opposition have been sanctioned; charged with corruption; assets freeze; travel ban, money laundering, etc. It’s therefore advisable to delay the process of constituting the Hybrid Court,” it says.
