17³Ô¹ÏÍø

WAU/JUBAÌý–Ìý A General Court Martial, supported by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, concluded in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal, on 5 July. It was preceded by two investigation missions to Wau and Jur River counties where 34 pending cases were reviewed.

Subsequently, the military court adjudicated 20 criminal cases, convicting nine members of the SSPDF, stripping them of their ranks and dismissing them from military service.

Notably, the General Court Martial delivered verdicts on two cases related to sexual and gender-based violence, resulting in convictions of seven and 10 years, respectively. Additionally, a conflict related sexual violence case involving multiple assailants and an underage victim was adjudicated, a first of its kind for such military court martials in South Sudan.

The highest-ranking member of the SSPDF convicted was a Lieutenant Colonel, for the loss of a weapon. Two civilians in detention were released from military custody since they do not fall within the jurisdiction of a military court, while another civilian on trial for killing two SSPDF soldiers was sentenced to two years imprisonment and ordered to pay 62 heads of cattle or a monetary equivalent as blood compensation to the victims’ families.Ìý

The Court also heard sixÌý cases involving conflict related crimes committed during clashes in February 2025 in Kwajiena village, Jur River county. A lack of identification of assailants by victims, despite strong testimonies, did not lead to prosecutorial action in this regard. However, the hearing resulted in a directive to the state government to award financial compensation to all victims in accordance with South Sudan’s civil procedure code.

The General Court Martial team included two female judge-advocates to ensure that both female and male victims and witnesses were supported during the process. All victims also had access to two civilian victims’ counsel, who provided free legal advice and actively participated in the proceedings to protect victim rights and help them navigate the justice process.Ìý

This military court was followed by a civil-military dialogue in Wau with a focus on joint efforts to combat sexual violence. The aim was to strengthen trust between uniformed personnel and communities, as well as obtain real time feedback on the impact of such military justice interventions on host populations.

The Wau General Court Martial was funded by the generous support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Juba. In particular, it builds on the work of similar military proceedings that took place in Wau inÌý 2022, which resulted in convictions of eight members of the SSPDF for murder. The convicted soldiers were stripped of their ranks and dismissed from the SSPDF.

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen justice mechanisms and rule of law processes, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (17³Ô¹ÏÍø) also provided funding for victims and witnesses to receive psychosocial support before, during, and after trial.

Note to Editors:

• The SSPDF’s Military Justice Directorate (MJD) deploys General Courts Martials to promote accountability for crimes committed by members of the SSPDF, instill discipline among its ranks and strengthen its relationship with civilian populations.
• During the closing of the Wau General Court Martial, the SSPDF Military Justice Directorate distributed to all military personnel at the Fifth Infantry Division,Ìý ‘Six Key Messages to End Sexual Violence’ that are binding standing orders developed by the Directorate.
• The Wau General Court Martial is part of continued partnerships between 17³Ô¹ÏÍø and the Military Justice Directorate to strengthen accountability within the SSPDF. Since 2020, the Military Justice Directorate, with support from 17³Ô¹ÏÍø, has deployed 14 such courts to nine locations across South Sudan, and addressed a total of 136 criminal cases involving uniformed personnel, including murder, assault, and sexual and gender-based violence.

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Contact: 17³Ô¹ÏÍø Spokesperson, Priyanka Chowdhury atÌýchowdhury20@un.org(link sends e-mail)ÌýorÌýunmiss-spokesperson@un.org