A court in Juba has ruled that the Ministry of Defence and Veterans' Affairs must pay approximately $1.4 million in compensation to two individuals injured in a shooting incident during the November 2024 operation to arrest former intelligence chief General Akol Koor Kuc. The presiding judge, Ajok Tito Tilar, delivered the ruling in absentia in a civil case filed by Manawa Gabriel Mokwej and Agum Andrea.
The court awarded Mokwej $274,850 for medical expenses, vehicle losses, and other damages, plus $800,000 for moral and psychological harm. Additionally, the ministry was ordered to pay Mokwej 30 head of cattle after a medical assessment found that he had sustained a 60% disability. Andrea was awarded $81,170 for medical expenses, vehicle losses, and other damages, plus $300,000 for moral and psychological harm.
The total monetary award is $1,456,020, excluding the cattle and legal fees. Judge Tilar stated that the Ministry of Defence shall pay Andrea $81,170 in medical expenses, plus car and other damages, and $300,000 as compensation for mental and moral damages. The plaintiffs had previously engaged with a committee established after the incident but received no compensation despite submitting their files to the relevant authorities.
Speaking after the ruling, Andrea urged the ministry to pay without further delay. She emphasized that the plaintiffs had previously engaged with a committee established after the incident but received no compensation despite submitting their files to the relevant authorities. "We appeal to the Ministry again that, regardless of where they are, in an urgent way, they intervene and try to see the necessary compensation," Andrea said.
Mokwej described the judgment as a victory for justice, stating that he suffered serious injuries, including a broken jaw, and underwent several operations in Juba and Egypt. He added that he still needed further medical treatment. The plaintiffs' lawyer, Angelo Thon Pal, stated that his clients had initially pursued the matter through the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, which notified the Defence Ministry of the intended legal proceedings.
Pal said that the ministry's legal department had not cooperated, prompting his clients to obtain permission to sue under Section 33(2) of the Code of Civil Procedures Act, 2007. He added that the court had mechanisms to enforce its decisions if the ministry failed to comply, citing Article 20 of South Sudan's Transitional Constitution, which guarantees the right to litigation, and referring to presidential directives calling for compensation for victims of the incident.
Meanwhile, South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said it is too early to comment on the ruling, adding that the ministry's leadership needed to review the judgment with its legal team before responding. General Akol Koor Kuc has remained under house arrest since the November 2024 operation, but has not been charged or brought before a court.
Key points
- The court awarded a total of $1,456,020 in compensation to the victims.
- The Ministry of Defence and Veterans' Affairs was ordered to pay the compensation.
- The incident occurred during the November 2024 operation to arrest former intelligence chief General Akol Koor Kuc.
