The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has pledged its support following the deployment of a high court judge and a first-grade judge to Bentiu in Unity State.
The pledge was made in a UNMISS press release on Monday, which noted that the appointments end a 12-year absence of permanent judges in the state.
The Bentiu mobile court, which opened on Monday, is expected to handle a combination of criminal and civil matters. These include serious criminal cases such as murder, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
In preparation, UNMISS facilitated the advance deployment of prosecutors, investigators, and a victims’ advocate to Bentiu on September 21 to begin receiving and processing criminal complaints. Since the court was announced, the reporting of criminal cases for investigation and potential referral has more than doubled, including reports of SGBV-related cases. Prior to the court’s arrival, more than 100 criminal cases had already been reported, including 21 related to SGBV.
This UNMISS initiative is a collaboration with the Unity State Government, the South Sudan Judiciary, and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Juba, the Bentiu mobile court will operate from September 29 to October 25.
The State Governor and senior representatives from the Judiciary, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the National Prisons Service were scheduled to represent their institutions at Monday’s opening ceremony. The Governor was also expected to formally return the court premises to the Judiciary to enable permanent operations. Notably, one of the two deployed judges has been serving on the Gender-Based Violence and Juvenile Court in Juba.
Since 2013, sustained conflict and insecurity forced the withdrawal of judges and prosecutors from Unity State. In their absence, residents have relied on customary courts to resolve disputes, including serious crimes beyond their jurisdiction. For over a decade, access to the formal justice system throughout the state has been limited to mobile courts.
In 2024 and 2025, UNMISS supported the deployment of five mobile courts across Unity State, including the first courts in Koch, Mayom, and Leer counties since 2013. The growing demand for justice also prompted the Governor to support a mobile court in Bentiu in December 2024. While the formal justice system decided no cases in Unity State in 2023, judges handled 314 cases in 2024 and the first half of 2025.