South Sudan Vice-President Charged with Murder and Crimes Against Humanity

South Sudan’s Vice-President Riek Machar has been formally charged with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity following a deadly attack on a military base by an ethnic militia, Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech announced on Thursday. The assault resulted in the deaths of over 250 soldiers.

The charges come amid growing tensions in the world’s youngest nation, where a fragile power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and his first vice-president Machar has been unraveling for months.

• In early March, the White Army, a militia composed of members of Machar’s ethnic Nuer community, attacked a military base in Nasir County, Upper Nile State in the northeast.
• The government holds Machar responsible and has now charged him and 20 others with:
  • Murder
  • Conspiracy
  • Terrorism
  • Treason
  • Destruction of public property
  • Crimes against humanity

“These crimes were marked by gross violations of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, including the desecration of corpses, persecution of civilians, and attacks on humanitarian workers,” said Justice Minister Akech.

Following the charges, President Kiir issued a presidential decree stripping Machar of his government position, alongside another co-accused, Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Choi, as reported on state television.

The White Army overran the Nasir military base between March 3 and 7.

• Several senior officers, including a general, were killed.
• A United Nations helicopter attempting to rescue soldiers was fired upon, resulting in the death of a UN pilot.

“This case sends a clear message: those who commit atrocities against the people of South Sudan, against our armed forces, and against humanitarian personnel will be held accountable, no matter their position or political influence,” the minister stated.

The United Nations, which maintains a major peace-building mission in the country, described the events at the time as “an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress.”

Political Context

• Kiir has been consolidating power, placing Machar under house arrest shortly after the attack. Many of Machar’s allies have also been detained.
• South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but a five-year civil war between Kiir and Machar claimed approximately 400,000 lives.
• A 2018 power-sharing agreement ended the war, yet international efforts to ensure a democratic transition have largely failed.
• Elections, originally scheduled for December 2024, were postponed for two more years.

Additionally, South Sudan has been in the global spotlight after the United States deported eight convicted criminals to the country in July, only one of whom was South Sudanese.

The incident and ensuing charges have heightened concerns over the stability and governance of South Sudan. Analysts warn that without robust enforcement of the law and genuine political reforms, the country risks slipping back into conflict despite the peace accord.

Summary Table: Key Facts

This unfolding case marks a critical moment for South Sudan, testing the country’s ability to hold leaders accountable while maintaining fragile peace and political stability.