JUBA, (HAN) – South Sudan has launched a high-profile trial against its former Vice President, Riek Machar, accusing him of serious crimes including murder, treason, and human rights violations.
According to the government, Machar allegedly ordered loyalist fighters from the militia group known as the White Army to carry out an attack in which more than 250 South Sudanese national army soldiers were killed. Authorities claim the assault was part of a broader plot to destabilize the country.
Machar and his political movement, however, have strongly rejected the allegations, dismissing them as fabricated charges designed to silence opposition voices. His party described the trial as a politically motivated attempt to undermine peace and reconciliation efforts.
The United Nations has warned that the proceedings could heighten tensions and risk plunging the country back into civil war. The last conflict, which erupted between 2013 and 2018 following political disputes between President Salva Kiir and Machar, left more than 400,000 people dead and forced over four million civilians to flee their homes.
International observers stress that dialogue and peace negotiations remain the only viable path to saving the fragile nation from renewed instability.
