Pibor Court House - Courtesy

The South Sudan Judiciary has dispatched a mobile court team to Pibor Administrative Area to try over 400 pending cases in the area.

Gen John Jok Gai, the Deputy Director General of Prison Services, only five of 434 cases had been tried by the court.

Speaking to the state-owned TV, SSBC, Jok welcomed the arrival of the mobile court team, hoping that the overcrowded prison facilities will see relief once trials begin.

“The number of cases we have here in Pibor now is 434, but only 5 cases have been decided and there are 429 cases that have not yet been decided and are still waiting,” stated Jok.

“I am happy today that the transferred court is in Pibor administration because the prison is crowded and the start of these trials will reduce the crowding in the facility,” he said.

In 2024, UNMISS established a court infrastructure in Pibor own of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

Speaking about the initiative, Simon Wang, a legal counsel at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, acknowledged the government’s responsibility for the mobile courts but cited economic constraints as a challenge.

He appealed to partners to step in and provide transportation for judges, legal counsel, advocates, and police officers involved in the process.

“The responsibility of the mobile court is for the government, but we have a problem of economic crisis,” he said.

“That is why we requested from our partners and they supported us for the transportation of the judges and legal council. Mobile code consists of judges, legal counsel, and an advocate, plus police,” he said.

Meanwhile, the chief of the Pibor Administrative Area, Peter Maze, says

“I think the opening of this court is now going to solve a lot of problems not only in terms of criminals, but even in terms of chiefs who are here. Because this court is a court of law that will try cases based on the evidence, based on the crimes,” said Maze.