JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN – South Sudan’s fragile peace deal is facing its most serious crisis yet as the country begins the treason trial of First Vice President Riek Machar, who has been dramatically dismissed by President Salva Kiir and charged with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity.
Machar and seven senior allies, including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, appeared in court on Monday inside a barred metal cage in a trial broadcast live on national television – a rare move in the country’s judicial history.
The charges stem from March attacks carried out by the White Army, a militia of armed youth, on a military base in Nasir, northeastern South Sudan. The government alleges Machar ordered the assault, which left over 250 soldier’s dead and deepened ethnic tensions.
Earlier this month, a presidential decree aired on state radio announced Machar’s suspension from the post of First Vice President. He has since been under house arrest at his Juba residence pending the trial.
Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in Opposition (SPLM/IO), has dismissed the accusations as “fabricated” and politically motivated.
“This is an incompetent court with no jurisdiction over my client,” Machar’s lawyer told reporters, vowing to appeal the process at the regional level, including the East African Court of Justice.
The trial has raised fears of plunging South Sudan back into conflict, with observers recalling the country’s 2013–2018 civil war that left 400,000 dead and displaced over four million people.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has urged both Kiir and Machar to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and recommit to dialogue, warning that the country risks undoing the “hard-won gains of the past seven years.”
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has been struggling with persistent food insecurity, corruption, and delayed democratic reforms.
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan recently accused both government and opposition leaders of presiding over “systematic looting” of public resources, worsening poverty for millions.
Edmund Yakani, director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), urged the judiciary to ensure transparency:
“This trial must be credible and impartial to restore faith in the rule of law. If handled politically, it could spark more bloodshed.”
The trial is expected to run for several weeks, with prosecutors reportedly preparing to call more than 50 witnesses, including army generals and survivors of the Nasir attack.
If found guilty, Machar could face the death penalty under South Sudanese law, an outcome that analysts warn could destabilize the entire peace process.
Regional bloc IGAD and the African Union are said to be monitoring the proceedings closely, with diplomatic efforts underway to avert a full breakdown of the unity government.
