Parties to the peace agreement launched public consultations to establish a commission for truth, reconciliation, and healing in the country.
President Salva Kiir and Vice President Dr. Riek Machar launched a nationwide public consultation on Tuesday to reflect the views of the war victims.
The commission’s purpose is to receive and document complaints and review eyewitnesses’ accounts of things that happened during the conflict.
President Kiir says the process must eradicate the culture of impunity in the country and reconcile communities affected by war. He says reconciliation is a priority before taking the next step in pursuing punitive justice.
“The commission for truth, reconciliation, and healing must focus on serving the victims’ interest throughout its work,” Kiir said.
He urges the victim of war to tell the truth to help the country achieve genuine reconciliation.
“Today Tuesday marks the beginning of consultation process to establish the commission for truth, reconciliation, and healing.”
The First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, says the formation of the commission is vital to promoting peace building. He says the process should look at the aspects of human rights abuses committed by all actors during the war. Machar encouraged the ministry of justice to speed up the act on transitional justice mechanisms.
The peace agreement obligates the Unity government to initiate legislation to establish the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing and Hybrid Court for South Sudan.
The ministry of justice leads the process in partnership with its stakeholders to conduct public consultations for a period not less than one month before establishing the Commission.