S. Sudanese judges continue strike in solidarity with sacked colleagues

Judges in South Sudan have resolved to continue their strike action in solidarity with 14 appeals court judges who were sacked by president Salva Kiir.

The 14 judges were sacked through a decree on Wednesday for “denying our people justice for reasons that could be resolved through administrative channels,” Deputy Information Minister Akol Paul Kordit explained.

The judges’ association said on Friday that the strike action that began on May 1 will continue until their demands are met.

“We have resolved to continue with our open strike in solidarity with our honourable dismissed justices and judges until our demands are met,” chairman of the association Justice Bold Lul Wang said in a statement.

They also called on the president to reinstate the sacked judges and meet their demands or dismiss all of them.

Among their demands are salary increment and restructuring of the justice system by removing the Chief Justice, Chan Reec Madut.

The statement from the judges follows a threat by the government on Thursday warning them to return to work or face punitive action.

“They have now crippled the country. We need justice to be administered … we are not threatening them, and we are advising them that if they continue, we will take action, administrative action against those who will still continue with the strike,” the deputy head of the judiciary John Gatwech Lul said in a statement.

The young country is slowly regaining its grounds after the civil war in 2013 with its justice system at the heart of the process.