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3w ago

South Sudan Charges Vice President Machar With Treason as Kiir Suspends Him

Rights groups warn the move imperils South Sudan’s fragile peace.

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 Vice President Riek Machar addresses a news conference in Juba, South Sudan April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Samir Bol/File Photo
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Machar was placed under house arrest a few weeks after the attack

Overview

  • Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech said Machar faces counts including murder, treason and crimes against humanity tied to the March assault on a Nasir military base.
  • Authorities blame the Nuer-aligned White Army for overrunning the garrison between March 3 and 7, with more than 250 soldiers and a UN helicopter pilot reported killed.
  • About 20 others were indicted, including former petroleum minister Puot Kang Chol, with officials saying 13 suspects remain at large.
  • President Salva Kiir suspended Machar by decree following the charges, and Machar has remained under house arrest since March without a stated trial date.
  • Amnesty International called for a public hearing as Machar’s SPLM-IO denounced the case as fabricated, while analysts warned the actions could inflame ethnic divisions and risk renewed conflict.