The Minister of Cabinet Affairs says the delay in formation of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan is partly due to disagreement over the 2015 investigative report by former Nigerian President Obasanjo.
Following the 2013 violence, the African Union formed the Commission of inquiry headed by the former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, to investigate the war crimes and abuses.
The report released in 2015, indicated that there were organized killings in Juba in mid-December 2013.
The AU report found no evidence of a coup attempt and concluded that the fighting within the Presidential Guards triggered the violence.
However, in 2015, the government of South Sudan rejected the report and described it as false.
Speaking during the 27th Plenary Meeting of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission on Thursday, Cabinet Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said the government has challenged the report.
According to Elia, the formation of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan is not an easy process.
“On the establishment of Hybrid Court for South Sudan as required under (the agreement), the process await guidance from African Union as provided for under 5.3.1.1 of the R-ARCSS,” he said.
“I want to say this is not an easy process because in the agreement, the main document that will be used for the Hybrid Court is the report of the former President of Nigeria Obasanjo.”
He argued that in the agreement, the main document that will be used for the Hybrid Court is the report of the former President of Nigeria Obasanjo.
Dr. Elia says AU Commission has to go to court to justify the claims.
“The government of the Republic of South Sudan has challenged that report, and so the owner of the report may have to go to the court to justify the claims.”
“If you don’t know you can read a report under South Sudan report.com pushing the reset button for South Sudan read that and you will find the details.”
The report that the cabinet minister cited is the recent declassified information surrounding the events in December 2013.
On March 29th, 2022, the Office of President released what it termed as a declassified information on the root cause of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts.
The report reiterated its early claim that an attempted coup by some politicians was the cause of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts, despite the African Union finding no evidence for this narrative.
According to the peace agreement, there shall be the establishment of an independent Hybrid Court for South Sudan.
The court shall investigate and where necessary prosecute, individuals bearing responsibility for crimes committed from 15 December 2013 through the end of the transitional period.