CEPO applauds judiciary for deploying 64 county judges

By Emmanuel Mandella

The Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani,  has hailed the judiciary’s bold move to deploy 64 county-level judges, calling it a pivotal step forward for access to justice, rule of law, accountability, and national unity.

“When the rule of law is enforced, perpetrators cannot walk free. They are held accountable,” Yakani stated, emphasizing that a functional judiciary is foundational to peace, cohesion, and stability in South Sudan.

This deployment marks a tangible fulfillment of justice reform commitments. CEPO’s Executive Director praised Chief Justice and the new judicial leadership for translating promises made into real action.

Yakani also urged governors and county commissioners to step up:

“Each county must act to accommodate and protect these judges. State governors must direct commissioners to ensure security.”

He warned of threats from some security and political figures toward these judges and urged the Chief Justice to involve the Ministers of Defense, Interior, and National Security in safeguarding judicial independence. CEPO will continue monitoring to ensure judges can perform their duties without intimidation, he said.

While ensuring safety and infrastructure, the deployment of county judges is a leap forward, lasting change requires more.

Judges need not only visibility in local courts but safe working environments and housing. Experts note that insufficient infrastructure and security threats remain serious obstacles to reforms.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has been instrumental in extending judicial services to underserved areas through mobile and virtual courts. Some of these efforts include:

Renk Town (Jan–Feb 2025): A mobile court, supported by UNMISS, tried 52 serious cases including twelve related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and conflict‐related sexual violence (CRSV) bringing formal justice to incarcerated individuals who had languished without trial.

In Leer County (April–May 2025): For the first time in over a decade, formal justice reached Leer. The initiative, backed by UNMISS, focused on crimes including murder, SGBV, forced marriage, and early marriage.

Also in Mayom (2024): In a mobile court deployment, 31 cases were handled, resulting in 24 convictions and 22 prisoner releases, demonstrating the power of justice to deter crime and empty jail cells even in remote parts of the country.

In August 2024, UNMISS supported the country’s first-ever fully virtual court in Malakal, bridging vast distances and enabling an accused who had been held since December 2023 to finally face trial via videoconference.

UNMISS also supports broader judicial and rule-of-law reforms, including, deployment of Justice and Corrections advisers across almost all states, support for mobile courts, circuit courts, and mobile General Courts Martial, legal reforms, capacity building, and oversight strengthening.