The African Union (AU) has officially opened applications for three international commissioners to serve on South Sudan’s Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing (CTRH) marking a major step forward in the country’s long-delayed transitional justice process.
Formed under Chapter V of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS), the commission is mandated to investigate past human rights violations, promote national healing, and lay the foundation for lasting peace.
It is designed to operate alongside the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and the Compensation and Reparations Authority (CRA) as part of the country’s broader transitional justice framework.
According to the AU’s announcement, the three commissioners will be recruited from other African countries, including at least one woman.
The body will comprise seven commissioners in total, with four South Sudanese nationals two women and two men to be appointed by the Government of National Unity in consultation with peace partners.
In November 2024, President Salva Kiir Mayardit signed the CTRH Act into law, officially establishing the commission with a six-year mandate to lead truth-telling, reconciliation, and healing processes across the country.
The development has been welcomed by civil society leaders, who say it is “better late than never” after seven years of delay in establishing one of the most crucial institutions of the peace agreement.
Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), described the AU’s move as “a long-awaited but positive breakthrough” for South Sudan’s transitional justice.
“It is better late than never,” Yakani said.
“The delay was largely shaped by our government’s dragging of feet in implementing key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement.”
He urged the government to move swiftly in appointing the four South Sudanese commissioners to complement the AU’s progress.
“This step by the African Union should trigger urgent action from the Government of National Unity and the signatories to the peace deal to appoint their commissioners without further delay,” he added.
Yakani emphasized that genuine transitional justice as envisioned under Chapter V of the R-ARCSS is essential for South Sudan’s transformation from violence to sustainable peace.
The AU Commission said the recruitment of the three international commissioners would ensure impartiality and credibility in the CTRH’s work.
The commissioners will oversee truth-telling processes, document violations committed from July 2005 to September 2018, and recommend mechanisms for reparations, compensation, and reconciliation.
Applicants are required to hold at least a Master’s degree in Law, Political Science, or a related field, with a minimum of 10 years of experience in truth, reconciliation, or human rights work.
The move signals renewed momentum in South Sudan’s slow path toward accountability and healing. But as Yakani noted, “only when both the AU and the South Sudanese parties act with urgency and sincerity can the country truly begin to heal its wounds.”
