A Study of Statelessness in South Sudan - 2017 certificate. In the absence of birth certificates, the Regulations provide that applicants may use an assessment of age as a substitute. A DNPI staff member in Aweil notes that, “If a person has neither of the two age documents [birth certificate or assessment of age], his application will not be accepted”.99 Given the dearth of birth certificates, almost all applicants are obliged to go to the medical commission for an age assessment certificate.100 Yet age assessments do not record descent, which is a key element in the application for nationality. The process for the acquisition of an age assessment certificate, as described by the Director of State Medical Commission in Juba, is described below. 101 It is worth highlighting that the age assessment procedure includes additional investigations of South Sudanese origin, whereby the experienced officers of the Security and Criminal Investigation Department verify the applicants’ forms with particular attention to name, state, county, payam, and boma – if any suspicions arise, the applicants are required to provide clarifications to confirm they are indeed South Sudanese nationals. Due to the absence of birth certificates, applicants thus find themselves confronted with a double burden of proof, having to effectively prove their nationality twice in order to obtain a nationality certificate. Figure 2. Age Assessment Procedure Purchase appplication form, provide full name of applicant, parents’ names, date of birth, state, county, Payam, and Boma. Proceed to Security and Criminal Investigation Department for investigation to confirm South Sudanese origin. Proceed to cashier to pay the fee for the age assessment certificate. Clerical section fills in the certificate based on the information on the form provided by the applicant. Certificates are taken to doctors for verification of age (physical examination and/or discussion of historical events). Doctor signs the certificate. KII with DNPI Staff in Aweil. KII with Director of State Medical Commission in Juba. 101 KII with Director of State Medical Commission in Juba. 99 100 26