South Sudan vice-president faces murder, treason charges

South Sudan’s fragile peace has been shaken after the government filed grave charges against First Vice-President Riek Machar, accusing him of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity.

Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech announced on Thursday that the charges stem from a March assault on an army base in Nasir, carried out by the White Army militia—a group largely made up of fighters from Machar’s Nuer ethnic group.

The assault left at least 250 soldiers and a general dead. A UN helicopter was also targeted, resulting in the death of its pilot.

Since the March incident, Machar has been confined to his Juba residence under heavy guard, with tanks and troops blocking nearby roads. He has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.

Alongside Machar, seven of his allies—including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam—have been indicted. They remain in custody after being detained in March. Authorities say 13 other suspects are still at large.

“This case sends a clear message,” the justice minister said. “Atrocities committed against the people of South Sudan, our armed forces, and humanitarian personnel will not go unpunished, regardless of rank or influence.”

He stressed that the matter should now be treated as a judicial process, not a political or diplomatic one.

The charges raise fears of renewed conflict in the world’s youngest nation. Machar’s forces fought a devastating five-year civil war against President Salva Kiir’s troops, a conflict that ended with a 2018 peace deal after nearly 400,000 deaths.

Although that agreement brought relative calm, tensions between Kiir and Machar have remained high, inflamed by ethnic rivalries and sporadic outbreaks of violence.

The UN, African Union, and South Sudan’s neighbours have all urged restraint, warning that the country’s hard-won peace could unravel.