South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The General Court Martial, supported by the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF), has successfully adjudicated 20 criminal cases, convicting nine members and dismissing them from military service in Wau, Western Bahr El Ghazel.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) stated that the General Court Martial, which concluded on July 5, 2025, in Wau town of Western Bahr El Ghazal, is supported by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).
“Subsequently, the military court adjudicated 20 criminal cases, convicting nine members of the SSPDF, stripping them of their ranks, and dismissing them from military service,” said UNMISS on Monday in a statement.
“This military court was followed by a civil-military dialogue in Wau, focusing on joint efforts to combat sexual violence. The aim was to strengthen trust between uniformed personnel and communities, as well as obtain real-time feedback on the impact of such military justice interventions on host populations,” it said.
The statement revealed that the General Court Martial, supported by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, was preceded by two investigation missions to Wau and Jur River counties, where 34 pending cases were reviewed.
“Notably, the General Court Martial delivered verdicts on two cases related to sexual and gender-based violence, resulting in convictions of seven and ten years, respectively. Additionally, a conflict-related sexual violence case involving multiple assailants and an underage victim was adjudicated,” it said.
It noted that the highest-ranking member of the SSPDF convicted for the loss of a weapon was a Lieutenant Colonel. Furthermore, two civilians in detention were released from military custody because their cases do not fall within the jurisdiction of a military court.
“Another civilian on trial for killing two SSPDF soldiers was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay 62 heads of cattle or a monetary equivalent as blood compensation to the victims’ families. The Court also heard six cases involving conflict-related crimes committed during clashes in February 2025 in Kwajiena village, Jur River County,” it added.
“A lack of identification of assailants by victims, despite strong testimonies, did not lead to prosecutorial action in this regard. However, the hearing resulted in a directive to the state government to award financial compensation to all victims in accordance with South Sudan’s civil procedure code,” it continued.
The statement also disclosed that all victims had access to two civilian victims’ counsel, who provided free legal advice and actively participated in the proceedings to protect victim rights and help them navigate the justice process.
“As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen justice mechanisms and rule of law processes, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) also provided funding for victims and witnesses to receive psychosocial support before, during, and after trial.”
The Wau General Court Martial, which particularly builds on the work of similar military proceedings that took place in Wau in 2022, was funded by the generous support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in South Sudan.
