Gordon Lam, Executive Director of Dialogue and Research Institute and Chairperson for Transitional Justin Working Group speaking to Eye Radio in Juba on Thursday, 4th May 2023. Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio.

A coalition of over 35 civil society organizations has renewed calls on the unity government and peace guarantors to expedite the implementation of transitional justice, accountability, reconciliation, and healing.

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

The commission is critical in discovering and revealing the crimes committed by the government and opposition forces including non-state actors to address the legacy of the over six years of conflict.

But the civil societies under the umbrella of the transitional justice working group said on Thursday little to no progress has been made in the implementation.

The 37 civil society and national organizations met in Juba on Wednesday and Thursday this week to restructure the transitional justice working group and also lay plans to push the government to implement peace provision.

Gordon Lam, the Executive Director of Dialogue and Research Institute and the new Chairperson for the Transitional Justice working group, said chapter five has been far behind schedule.

“Peace without justice is a peace that has no dividend,” Lam said.

“The spoilers of peace will always continue to spoil peace but if we have a justice mechanism, they will always be brought to justice and peace will be preserved through justice and accountability.”

“It [chapter five] has to be funded for it to move forward, the government has to provide political will, it has to be a plan of action from the government side, so it shouldn’t be left behind.”

On her part, Nyuon Susan Sebit, a member of Transitional Justice Working Group warns the country will only achieve durable peace through accountability, reconciliation and reparation.

“We are calling all the partners to the peace agreement and our guarantors to ensure they prioritize the implementation of Chapter Five because we need accountability against those who are responsible of some crimes.”

“There is no peace without justice. Generally, this is a collective role for South Sudan to be peaceful and have everlasting peace, it is important.”

“So, if we don’t implement accountability or chapter five of the peace agreement, many people will be in fear and they will definitely feel like there is no a promise of peace.”

In July 2020, the South Sudan Civil Society Forum urged the African Union to engage the unity government to speed up hybrid court of South Sudan.

In January 2021, the cabinet approved a proposal for the establishment of hybrid court of South Sudan and directed the Ministry of Justice to set up other institutions spelled out in chapter five.

The move was welcomed by the African Union but it has not moved forward since.