The Minuss, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, announced on Monday the sentencing last Friday of 11 soldiers of the national army by a “General Court Martial” in the city of Yei, in the south of the country. This committee, made up of high-ranking South Sudanese soldiers, had been seized of 14 cases of violence, in particular rapes and murders committed against civilians between 2020 and 2023. A step towards a little more justice for South Sudanese, in a context where impunity remains widespread.
With our correspondent in Juba, Florence Mietteaux
Of the 14 soldiers on trial, 11 were found guilty “of serious crimes, including murder and sexual gender-based violence”. In addition to being discharged from the army, they were sentenced to terms of up to 10 years in prison and must also pay compensation to the victims.
“ No one is above the law said Yei County Commissioner Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa. For him, these verdicts show that ” civilians should not be afraid to report soldiers who commit crimes “. The head of the UN mission, Nicholas Haysom, says that “ the work of the court martial is a step forward in combating impunity “.
For Jackline Nasiwa, head of the Center for Inclusive Governance, Justice and Peace, an organization that accompanied the victims during the trial, it is necessary to ensure that the compensation is indeed paid; because others are still waiting for their compensation since 2022. The activist is also concerned that this legal process is entirely dependent on United Nations funding. It therefore calls for the allocation of a budget by the State to judge the crimes committed by the security forces in the rest of the country.