South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The National Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have agreed to ease congestion in overcrowded prison facilities across the country.
“We have serious crowdedness in detention facilities, we are talking of prisons, Red Cross give their assurance that they will be in position with limited resources to support how to resolve issue of congestion in prisons,” said Gabriel Isaac Awow, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on Thursday in Juba.
Awow said that existing prison facilities accommodate more than 2000 inmates, adding that Juba Central Prison has gone beyond its capacity.
“As partners we are trying to speed up investigation to make sure an accused is referred to court, congestion in prison is our concern as rule of law institution, we are now very optimistic that congestion in prison will be resolved,” said Awow
Awow revealed that the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs will ensure that the rights of prisoners or inmates are protected.
He also disclosed that ICRC will provide trainings to equip legal counselors and other rule of law institutions with information related to regional and international humanitarian issues.
“We agree that the issue of congestion needs to be addressed, we are having mobile courts and the mobile courts will be going around South Sudan, we need to have other facilities which will accommodate more prisoners,” said Awow.
Florence Gillette, the Head of Delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross said that the her delegation paid courtesy visit to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to see progress made by South Sudan on the international humanitarian law including the Geneva Convention.
“We discussed ongoing and potential future cooperation and ensuring that domestication of some ratified instruments, prospect for new ratifications and how to put efforts in dissemination of those instruments with all relevant stakeholders in South Sudan,” said Gillette.
She said that they also discussed series of challenges in South Sudan in regard to justice for those in detention.
