In a pivotal move to uphold justice and restore trust between civilians and security forces in South Sudan, a landmark military tribunal has commenced in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr El Ghazal. The initiative, spearheaded by South Sudan’s People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), aims to prosecute misconduct within the military and signals a significant stride toward security reform.

General Sten Kamilo Mboro, the presiding official of the SSPDF General Court Martial, underscored the importance of holding all offenders accountable, regardless of their rank or position within the force. “There will be accountability, and this accountability applies to anyone who has committed an offence,” he stated.

“We begin with accountability. We are holding perpetrators accountable… They will behave according to the Government’s rules.”
General Sten Kamilo Mboro

The tribunal is set to address 28 cases, including 15 tied to serious offences such as rape and murder, charges that have sparked long-standing outrage in communities affected by military violence. For many civil society groups, the court marks a rare but necessary avenue for justice, especially in areas where legal access remains limited and military impunity has often gone unchecked.

Louiza Wilson, a noted advocate for victims’ rights, emphasized the critical need to safeguard victims during the proceedings.

“The task is to represent the victim from the start of the proceedings to the final verdict… You also provide them with legal protection, as they might be fearful of speaking out or that something might happen to them afterwards.”
Louiza Wilson

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is offering technical support to bolster the legal framework of the hearings, which form part of broader security sector reforms. As part of these reforms, a civilian-military dialogue is scheduled for July 6, offering communities an opportunity to understand and engage with the court’s process.

Accountability Applies To All Ranks

The tribunal emerged at a volatile time in South Sudan’s post-conflict recovery. Despite the 2018 peace agreement, the nation continues to wrestle with deep-rooted political turmoil, especially between President Salva Kiir and his longtime rival, Vice President Riek Machar. Tensions between the two leaders have intensified throughout 2025, jeopardizing the fragile unity government formed in 2020.

That government has struggled to implement key terms of the peace accord, including the restructuring of the armed forces, constitutional development, and preparations for long-overdue elections now postponed to 2026. President Kiir has been accused of systematically sidelining opposition voices, including Machar’s loyalists, by removing governors and arresting over 20 SPLM-IO officials this year alone.

The arrest of Machar in March 2025 marked a critical escalation, widely condemned as a violation of the peace agreement. Since then, fighting has surged between government troops and militias aligned with Machar, particularly the White Army, with heavy clashes in the Upper Nile state. These conflicts, rooted in longstanding ethnic divisions between Kiir’s Dinka group and Machar’s Nuer community, threaten to reignite a broader civil war.

Institutional dysfunction continues to plague the country. Allegations of widespread corruption, mismanagement, and an inability to provide essential services such as food, education, and healthcare have fueled public discontent. The judicial system is severely under-resourced, leaving many victims of violence without legal recourse and allowing local conflicts to fester without resolution.

Meanwhile, uncertainty around Kiir’s health and reported succession plans have stoked fears of political instability. His apparent efforts to install a preferred successor by marginalizing rival factions could derail any remaining hopes of peaceful transition or democratic reform.

As South Sudan navigates these turbulent waters, the Wau military court stands as a test of the country’s resolve to uphold justice and restore order within its armed forces. Whether this initiative will pave the way for deeper structural reform or merely serve as a symbolic gesture remains to be seen.