South Sudan establishes truth and healing commission

JUBA – South Sudan government has established the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing provided under chapter 5 of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan or R-ARCSS.

The commission will spearhead efforts to address the legacy of the conflict, promote peace, national reconciliation, and healing following years of deadly conflicts since December 2013.

South Sudan’s Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro disclosed this development on Tuesday following a governance cluster meeting chaired by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon.

“The committee has elected its chair and passed its operation plan in terms of reference and they are now waiting to be trained and once they are trained, they will now go out there to do a consultation in areas where the war was prevalence during 2013,” Lomuro said.

He disclosed that the commission comprised 34 members, adding that the commission will undergo training before it embarks on the critical mission.

“The Ministry of Justice that he has now established Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and healing which comprised of 34-members,” Lomuro said.

The commission is mandated to inquire into all aspects of human rights violations, abuses, breaches, of the rule of law, and excessive abuse of power committed against all persons in South Sudan by state, and non-state actors.

“They will conduct consultation in Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and refugees’ camps and consultations with other South Sudanese in government institutions as well as civil society, community leaders, women and youth to find exactly what they saw during that time of conflict,” he said.

He said the commission will record the experience of victims and represent its finding to the cabinet.

“Once this commission has done its consultations within a period of one month, they will submit their report to the council of ministers and that report will constitute the bill that will be written to manage commission for truth, reconciliation, and healing,” he said.