Suspended South Sudan VP Machar Faces Treason Trial in Juba
The high-profile trial of South Sudan’s suspended vice president, Riek Machar, opened Monday in Juba, marking his first public appearance since being placed under house arrest in March.
Machar, who stood in a cage alongside seven co-defendants, faces multiple charges including treason, crimes against humanity, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, and destruction of public property and military assets. The proceedings, held before a special court in the capital, were broadcast live on national television.
President Salva Kiir suspended Machar earlier this month after prosecutors accused him of involvement in an attack on a government garrison earlier in the year. Defense lawyers, however, rejected the legitimacy of the trial, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction and that prosecuting Machar undermines the 2018 peace agreement that brought an end to the country’s brutal civil war.
That peace deal, which claimed an estimated 400,000 lives before its signing, remains the foundation of South Sudan’s transitional government in which Machar continues to hold the position of first vice president under its provisions. His legal team insists that the charges amount to political persecution in an ongoing power struggle with Kiir.
The adjourned trial comes against the backdrop of renewed instability, with government troops clashing with armed groups allegedly loyal to Machar. Analysts warn that the case risks pushing South Sudan back toward large-scale conflict.
Kiir and Machar, once comrades in the liberation struggle that secured independence from Sudan in 2011, have long been rivals. Their relationship has been marred by decades of ethnic and political feuds, including the 2013 split that triggered a devastating civil war.
Observers, including the International Crisis Group, have suggested the trial is as much about political maneuvering as it is about justice. “This makes the case political,” said Daniel Akech, a senior analyst with the group.
The court will reconvene on Tuesday.
