The High Court in the Western Bahr el Ghazal State on Wednesday received a vehicle donated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to enhance the mobility of judicial officers and improve access to justice across the state.
The vehicle was officially handed over to the State Judiciary in Wau by UNDP through a project funded by the Government of the Netherlands in South Sudan.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the President of the High Court, Justice Dudu Jackson Jejen, welcomed the donation, noting that it would significantly improve the Judiciary’s ability to deliver judicial services to remote and hard-to-reach communities.
Justice Jejen acknowledged UNDP’s longstanding support to the Judiciary in South Sudan, including assistance in the construction of courtrooms and the training of judges in the English language.
“It is our responsibility to reach out to communities and provide judicial services, but at times we have faced transportation challenges. UNDP has consistently been there to support us,” she said.
Justice Jejen further highlighted the positive impact of UNDP-supported mobile courts in expanding access to justice.
“There is currently a mobile court operating in Raja County, as well as in Wau, with support from UNDP,” she said. “Today (Wednesday), UNDP has donated a vehicle that will enable us to travel more easily to Raja and other distant locations, bringing justice closer to our communities. We sincerely appreciate this support.”
For his part, Andrew Shuruma, Team Leader of the Governance and Stabilization Unit at UNDP South Sudan, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening the rule of law in South Sudan.
“Over the years, we have worked in close partnership with the Judiciary through a project funded by the Government of the Netherlands. This has been an important initiative that has supported a range of rule of law interventions, including human rights promotion and the implementation of mobile courts,” he said. “As the project comes to an end, UNDP’s standard practice is to hand over project assets to government institutions so they can continue delivering services to the people.”
“We have worked diligently with the Government of South Sudan, particularly the Judiciary, and this vehicle handover is part of that commitment,” Shuruma added.
He further emphasized that UNDP remains committed to supporting South Sudan’s justice sector and will continue working closely with the Judiciary to advance access to justice and strengthen the rule of law across the country.
The vehicle is expected to enhance the operational capacity of the Western Bahr el Ghazal High Court, enabling judicial officers to reach remote communities more effectively and ensuring that justice services are accessible to all citizens, regardless of their location.
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