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The treason trial of South Sudan’s former Vice President, Riek Machar, opened on Monday in Juba, drawing nationwide attention as proceedings were broadcast live. Machar, who was brought into the courtroom in a secure cage alongside his co-defendants, faces multiple charges linked to an attack on a government military garrison earlier this year.
Prosecutors have levelled accusations of murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property and military equipment, as well as crimes against humanity. It marked Machar’s first public appearance since being placed under house arrest in March.
His defence team challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that it lacked the authority to try him. They further maintained that Machar is immune from prosecution as a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement that ended South Sudan’s devastating civil war, which claimed more than 400,000 lives.
