Clerk Bartel says most of the cases registered this year are divorce cases due to expenses, lack of interest in wives, and failure to rent a house for the marriage. (Photo: Michael Daniel).

The clerk of Gudele West Customary Court said Wednesday they registered an increasing number of divorces among families with 40 cases since the beginning of this year.

Martin Bartel Samuel said the court has also received marriage-related cases including dowry issues, domestic disputes, alimony, and child support.

Bartel attributes the number of divorces to the economic hardship of the country, adding that most divorce cases are reported by women.

“Most of the cases that we solve here are customary cases, and we always try hard in their case peacefully, and we always identify the parties by the nature of the court as customary,” Bartel said in an interview with Eye Radio on Wednesday.

He further said the court only deals with customary cases and directs criminal cases to the police.

“Most of the cases we registered this year have reached forty cases, which are divorce cases due to expenses, lack of interest in wives, and failure to rent a house for the marriage. When we receive a criminal case, we direct the parties to go to the police station and file a criminal report.”

He emphasizes that married couple need to reconciliation and listen to the advice of community leaders involved in conflicts resolution.

“We often advise the couple to sit down and try to sit down and discuss before making a decision.”

Gudele West Customary Court was established in 2011 in accordance with South Sudan’s transitional constitution which mandates the judiciary to form the courts in the country.