Warrap county closes morning courts temporarily to support cultivation efforts

KUAJOK – Authorities in Twic County of South Sudan’s Warrap State have ordered the temporary suspension of local court activities during morning working hours as part of efforts to encourage residents to focus on cultivation amid growing food insecurity.

The directive, issued by Twic County Commissioner Mangok Kom Nyuol, affects local bench courts and customary courts operating across the county’s six payams. Officials say the measure is intended to reduce time spent on local disputes during the critical planting season and redirect residents toward agricultural activities as the rains begin.

Speaking to Mayardit FM in Turalei on Sunday, Kom said the order forms part of broader local government efforts aimed at increasing food production and reducing dependence on imported food supplies at a time when many communities in Warrap are facing hunger pressures.

“We have begun the cultivation and as a matter of fact we want people to start farming immediately and all those who have been having issues with their relatives should cease from opening the cases against their own kins and kith or strangers,” the commissioner said.

In many rural parts of South Sudan, customary courts handle a wide range of disputes, including family disagreements, cattle-related conflicts and land cases. Such hearings often draw large gatherings and can consume significant portions of the day, particularly during the farming season when households are expected to prepare land and plant crops before heavier rains arrive.

County authorities believe limiting court operations during morning hours could allow more residents to spend time on their farms while still permitting minor disputes to be handled later in the day.

“The bench courts, paramount chiefs’ courts need to remain closed until mid of the day when people are back to the shed, or trees where minor cases can be settled. It is a work of the law enforcement agencies to implement the directives,” Kom said.

The commissioner said the directive has already been circulated to payam directors and local chiefs for implementation. He warned residents against violating the order, saying offenders risk penalties, though he did not specify the fines.

“For those who are acting against the orders, you would carry your own cross, and what we need is a policy of food production being produced by the local citizens not relying on the imported ones,” he said.

Kom said the temporary restrictions on court activities would remain in force until September, when local authorities expect households to begin harvesting early crops.

The move comes as officials in several parts of South Sudan push communities to expand cultivation in response to rising food prices, displacement caused by conflict and recurring climate shocks that have weakened food production in parts of the country.

Critics, however, argue that local initiatives centered on traditional farming are unlikely to resolve chronic food shortages without wider government investment in mechanized agriculture and rural infrastructure.

Some residents accuse officials of failing to properly distribute tractors and farming equipment allocated to states for large-scale cultivation, alleging that some machinery has instead been diverted for personal or private use.

It remains unclear whether county-level directives such as limiting court operations will significantly improve food production in areas already struggling with poor infrastructure, flooding, economic hardship and insecurity.

Local police and law enforcement agencies have been instructed to oversee implementation of the order across the county.