Mon Sep 22 10:11:27 UTC 2025: **South Sudan on Edge as Trial of First Vice President Riek Machar Begins**
**JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN** – Tensions are soaring in South Sudan as the trial of First Vice President Riek Machar commenced this week, raising fears of a renewed civil war. Machar, who was sacked by President Salva Kiir earlier this month, is facing charges of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity in connection to rebellion and an attack allegedly orchestrated by a militia with ethnic ties.
Machar, along with seven others, including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, appeared in court on Monday, visibly held in a barred cage during a nationally televised broadcast. He has been under house arrest for months as the government investigated his allies.
President Kiir’s decision to suspend Machar stemmed from accusations of his involvement in attacks by the “White Army” against federal forces in March, resulting in the deaths of over 250 soldiers.
The trial has sparked widespread concern, with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) urging restraint and warning against a return to civil war, risking the “hard-won gains of the past seven years.”
Edmund Yakani, head of the activist group Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, emphasized the need for transparency and fairness in the trial to build trust in the judicial system. He also urged both leaders to resolve their political differences through dialogue, saying that violence would benefit no one.
Machar’s party, SPLM/IO, has denounced the charges as “fabricated” and claims its members were illegally arrested. Machar’s lawyer has stated that the court lacks jurisdiction in the case.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has struggled with instability since its independence in 2011. A devastating civil war erupted in 2013 between Kiir’s Dinka supporters and Machar’s Nuer ethnic group, resulting in an estimated 400,000 deaths and the displacement of over four million people. A 2018 peace deal led to a fragile “national unity” government, but deep divisions remain.
Adding to the crisis, the UN recently reported that South Sudan is grappling with rampant corruption and a deepening food crisis, with the country’s wealth being systematically looted by a “predatory elite.” This further destabilizes the nation, increasing the risk of renewed conflict.
First Piper 