South Sudan cabinet approves establishment of transitional justice institutions

JUBA – South Sudan’s council of ministers on Friday approved the implementation of two key transitional justice laws, aimed at addressing the impacts of the 2013 war on civilians.

The two institutions include the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, and the Compensation and Reparation Authority which are mandated under the 2018 peace deal, to investigate human rights abuses and ensure accountability and justice for victims.

“We listened to a presentation from His Excellency Justice Reuben Madol, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. The presentation was on the operationalization of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing Act 2024 and the Compensation and Reparation Authority Act 2024. These two laws were actually passed in 2024, but they were not operationalized because they have some other requirements that need to be fulfilled,” said Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan information minister.

Lueth said the justice ministry has been given full authorization to establish the institutions and get stakeholders such as the African Union and UN onboard to ensure their involvement in the process.

“So, the Minister made a presentation to the Cabinet in order to authorize him and give him the green light to continue contacting the institutions concerned and the stakeholders, and also to contact the UN and the African Union, because there are foreigners who are supposed to be parties to these bodies,” he said.

According to him, the justice ministry has been tasked with setting up a panel and identifying the members of the board and operationalizing the institutions.

Chapter Five of the 2018 peace accord obligates the unity government to establish the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing, the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, and the Compensation and Reparation Authority.

However, right groups have blamed the unity government for dragging its feet when it comes to implementation.  In 2023, Amnesty International said the unity government, despite the signing of the peace agreement in 2018 has not held perpetrators accountable, leading to near total impunity.