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2h ago

Riek Machar Appears in Juba Court as Trial Opens on Treason and Crimes Against Humanity Charges

The case tests a fragile power-sharing pact that many fear is unraveling.

FILE - South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar speaks to the media about the situation in South Sudan following a peace agreement the week before with the government, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, Aug. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File)
South Sudan's First Vice President Riek Machar attends his swearing-in ceremony at the State House in Juba, South Sudan, February 22, 2020. REUTERS/Samir Bol/File Photo
South Sudanese ex-vice president Riek Machar has been charged with crimes against humanity in what his allies say is part of an attempt to sideline the opposition
Riek Machar is the perennial number two of South Sudan politics after surviving bush warfare, assassination attempts and exile

Overview

  • The suspended vice president made his first public appearance since March, standing in a cage with co-defendants before a special court in Juba during a hearing broadcast on national television.
  • Prosecutors have charged him with treason, murder, crimes against humanity, terrorism and related offenses after his removal from the unity government.
  • Machar’s lawyers challenged the court’s jurisdiction and argued that prosecuting him violates the spirit of the 2018 peace deal.
  • Authorities accuse him of ordering a March assault on an Upper Nile State army base that the government says killed more than 250 soldiers.
  • Machar’s faction rejects the allegations as political, supporters have urged armed mobilization, and analysts warn the unraveling transition risks a return to widespread conflict.