SSPDF to set up court martial branches in Malakal, Wau

The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Victor Atem Atem said on Friday that they are planning to establish military court martial in Malakal and Wau to try soldiers accused of committing crimes against civilians.

Atem said these remarks after the meeting with heads of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) General Court Martial at Giada military barracks in Juba.

“We have the plan to have one military court martial here which could take over the cases here in Juba, and we shall also have one in Malakal to take the cases of Upper Nile,” he said.

“We shall have one in Wau which will take care of Division 5, Division 3 and Division 11 and if Division 4 could be close there that should also be one center,” Atem disclosed.

He that the mobile court martial will continue to operate normally and the centers will be tasked to prosecute soldiers accused of human rights violations.

Atem said that plans are underway to build a new general court martial in Juba.

“The governor of Central Equatoria has promised to give us a new building, and already the architecture is completely done, and the bill of the contract is already done and the assessment by the engineer,” he said.

The new court to be built by the Governor of Central Equatoria State, Emmanuel Adil Anthony is expected to open this year.

 “We thank God Governor Emmanuel Adil has taken the challenge, and he is going to do it but we shall complement the remaining part,” said Atem.