CEPO Declares Three-Month Campaign for Transitional Justice Legislation Enactment
In a bold move aimed at fostering healing and reconciliation in South Sudan, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has declared a three-month campaign from April to June 2024 for the enactment of transitional justice legislations. This campaign seeks to establish the Commission for Truth, Healing, and National Reconciliation, as well as the Compensation Reparation Authority, by the revitalized transitional national legislative assembly.
Mr. Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO, emphasized the significance of having functional transitional justice institutions in place by the upcoming national independence day on the 9th of July, 2024. He highlighted the importance of pursuing truth-telling, healing, reconciliation, compensation, and reparations in post-conflict scenarios to prevent the risk of violent elections due to unresolved past traumas.
Yakani stated, “Engagement in national general elections without functional transitional justice mechanisms poses a significant risk. It is essential for the national parliament to prioritize the enactment of transitional justice bills into legislation before July 2024.”
Furthermore, he proposed that on the 14th independence day in 2024, the president should declare the country’s commitment to establishing functional transitional justice by forming the Commission for Truth, Healing, and National Reconciliation, the Compensation and Reparation Authority, and the Hybrid Court for South Sudan.
Yakani also emphasized that electoral and constitutional processes are integral components of transitional justice. He affirmed CEPO’s dedication to conducting proactive advocacy through their transitional justice resources centers to ensure the timely enactment of transitional justice legislations before the set deadline.
The initiative by CEPO underscores a crucial step towards healing past wounds, fostering reconciliation, and promoting a peaceful and just society in South Sudan.
