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South Sudan’s First Vice-President, Riek Machar, has been formally charged with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity — accusations that observers fear could spark fresh unrest in the fragile nation.
Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech said the charges stem from a March assault by the White Army militia, a group allegedly linked to Machar. Tanks and troops have since sealed off the roads leading to his residence in Juba, where he has been held under house arrest.
The White Army, largely drawn from Machar’s Nuer ethnic community, stormed an army base in Nasir in March, killing an estimated 250 soldiers and a general. A UN helicopter was also attacked, leaving its pilot dead.
Seven of Machar’s allies — including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt Gen Gabriel Duop Lam — face the same charges after being detained alongside him. Thirteen more suspects are still on the run.
Justice Minister Akech stressed that no political or diplomatic considerations should interfere with the judicial process, saying: “This case sends a clear message that anyone responsible for atrocities will be held to account, regardless of their rank or influence.”
Machar, who has yet to comment on the accusations, previously led forces against President Salva Kiir’s troops in a brutal five-year civil war that ended with a 2018 peace deal. That conflict claimed nearly 400,000 lives.
Although independence from Sudan in 2011 raised hopes for stability, South Sudan has since endured repeated cycles of ethnic violence and strained relations between Kiir and Machar.
By: BBC
