South Sudan’s political tensions deepened on Friday as opposition leader and former vice-president Riek Machar told a court in Juba that his status as the country’s first vice-president shields him from prosecution in a treason case.
Machar, a longtime rival of President Salva Kiir, was suspended from office last month after being charged with crimes against humanity and accused of orchestrating a deadly militia attack in March.
The assault on a government base in Nasir County left around 250 soldiers dead, according to state officials. Machar has been under house arrest since the March attack, which was blamed on the White Army, a youth militia largely drawn from his Nuer ethnic group.
Facing the judges for the first time, Machar declared his immunity in a brief but defiant statement. “I am the first vice-president. I have immunity. I will give a statement but I cannot and do not want to be investigated. If the time comes I will explain myself,” he told the court.
While the government insists he gave the order, Machar denies any responsibility, arguing the violence reflects a deeper problem of armed groups acting outside state control.
“The armed youth organised themselves and no government is governing them and they are all over the country,” he said in testimony read to the court. “They are in our controlled areas, so if there is anything I will have to intervene and help quell the tensions.”
His supporters claim the trial is politically driven, accusing President Kiir of using the courts to silence his rival and consolidate power. The proceedings were initially streamed live, but the feed was cut earlier this week as Machar and his co-accused began their defense.
The 2018 deal that ended a bloody civil war promised unity, but elections have been repeatedly delayed and rival factions remain divided. With Machar now on trial and tensions rising, many fear the young nation is once again teetering between reconciliation and renewed chaos.
