South Sudan - September 2025

On 11 September, South Sudan’s government charged suspended Vice President Riek Machar and seven other opposition officials with murder, treason and crimes against humanity over a March attack in Upper Nile by militias reportedly linked to his Nuer ethnic group, which left over 250 soldiers dead. Machar, under house arrest since March, denies the charges, which his party says are politically motivated. On 29 September, a special court dismissed jurisdictional challenges from Machar’s legal team and disqualified two defence lawyers, prompting criticism over the trial’s fairness. Rights groups flagged serious due process concerns, including incommunicado detentions, restricted media access during the trial and lack of independent monitors. The case unfolds as authorities resist establishing the African Union Hybrid Court—as part of the 2015 peace deal—which would investigate and prosecute serious crimes committed since 2013, including those linked to the 2025 violence, raising concerns of selective justice. 

Sources: International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, Jurist News, Radio Tamazuj, British Broadcasting Corporation, Jeune Afrique