Bentiu IDP Camp Court Opens to Address Violence, Improve Access to Justice
By Kidega Livingstone
A new court has opened at the Bentiu internally displaced persons camp in Unity State to improve access to justice and address concerns over sexual and gender-based violence, drug-related offenses and gang violence.
The Bentiu IDP Camp Court began operating Sept. 7 and will run through Sept. 26. The initiative is supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, in collaboration with the Unity State government, the Judiciary of South Sudan and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The court was established following repeated calls from camp residents for stronger justice and rule-of-law mechanisms, particularly to protect children and young people affected by drug abuse, gang violence and sexual and gender-based violence.
The initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the Community High Committee of the Bentiu IDP camp and forms part of the Unity State government’s Task Force on Combating Drug Abuse and Gang Violence.
The court is expected to bring formal judicial services closer to displaced communities and provide a mechanism for serious offenses to be investigated and adjudicated.
Its opening follows the re-establishment of permanent judicial and prosecutorial services in Unity State in May 2026, after a 13-year absence.
UNMISS has also supported seven mobile courts across Unity State since 2024 as part of efforts to combat impunity, promote accountability and strengthen peace and security. According to UNMISS, the mobile courts have adjudicated 517 cases, compared with no cases adjudicated through the formal justice system in Unity State in 2023.
The Bentiu IDP camp is South Sudan’s largest camp for internally displaced people, hosting more than 100,000 residents. It was established as a Protection of Civilians site following the outbreak of conflict in 2013 and was redesignated as an IDP camp in 2021.
The Bentiu IDP Camp Court is funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Juba.
