South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Transitional Justice Working Group, made up of various civil society organizations, is calling on the transitional government to promptly set up the Commission for Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation (CTRH) as well as the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA).
Lony Ruot, the Acting Chairperson of the Transitional Justice Working Group and Executive Director of the Standard Action Liaison Force (SALF), has appealed to Wek Mamer Kuol, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, to swiftly establish two transitional justice institutions.
“We are calling for the Minister of Justice to expedite the formation of a selection panel and to move as quickly as possible to establish the structure for the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation and Healing, as well as the Compensation and Reparation Authority, so that justice is served for the victims and the country can begin the healing process,” Ruot stated in an interview on Friday at the Juba Grand Hotel during the closing of a three-day symposium on transitional justice.
“As civil society, we have an obligation to ensure that issues of transitional justice are prioritized to help this country reconcile, address the legacy of war, ensure accountability, and provide reparations to the victims,” he added.
The three-day workshop on transitional justice, held under Chapter 5 of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, was organized by the African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry (ALARM) with support from the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Jacob Chol, the Executive Director of the Community Initiative Support Programme, praised the progress made by the transitional government of national unity in implementing the transitional justice chapter of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“Actually, the implementation of transitional justice is progressing well. People are moving forward; as we know, in 2024, the laws for the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH) and the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA) were enacted,” Chol said.
Chol disclosed that the implementation of transitional justice under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement is hindered by funding shortfalls, and it may continue after the upcoming 2026 election.
“There are benefits to implementing the chapter on transitional justice; the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH) and the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA) are ready to be formed,” said Chol.
“We urge our government to accelerate implementation because time is against us. This commission must be formed, and we need to ensure it is inclusive; there is no way for the government to abandon it,” he emphasized.
Juma Mabor Marial, the Country Director for the African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry (ALARM), also called on Minister Kuol to expedite the formation of transitional justice mechanisms.
“In this regard, I appeal to the Minister of Justice to expedite the establishment of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, and the Board for the Compensation and Reparation Authority,” he said.
Marial stated that the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, once established, will begin its mandate by examining the legacy of conflict in South Sudan, adding that the commission will make recommendations for institutional reform, compensation, and reparation.
“We are concerned about the delay from the Minister of Justice. We need to see transitional justice implemented as soon as possible; the hybrid court for South Sudan also needs to be formed so that Chapter 5 is fully implemented,” Marial said.
In December 2024, President Salva Kiir Mayardit assented to the Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Bill and the Compensation and Reparation Authority Bill, both under Chapter 5 of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
