JUBA, South Sudan – A special court in South Sudan has ruled that it has the jurisdiction to try suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar on charges of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity, rejecting a series of objections from his defence team.
The court dismissed arguments that Machar was immune from prosecution and that the alleged crimes should be handled by a hybrid court established under the 2018 peace agreement.
Presiding Judge James Alala said the case fell squarely within the mandate of the special court.
“The special court enjoys jurisdiction to try this case according to the Transitional Constitution 2011 as amended,” Judge Alala said on Monday.
He added that immunity applied only to the president, not the vice-president.
Machar, who has been under house arrest since March, has denounced the charges as a political “witch-hunt.”
His party, the SPLM-IO, condemned the trial as a “kangaroo court” lacking both legality and competence, insisting the proceedings were unconstitutional and tribally motivated.
The case relates to a militia attack in March, allegedly linked to Machar, in which 250 soldiers and a general were killed.
The defence argued that the African Union-backed hybrid court, promised under the 2018 deal that ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war, should hear such cases. But the hybrid court has yet to be established.
The court also expelled two of Machar’s lawyers after the prosecution challenged their professional licences, though it allowed them to rejoin once they renew their credentials.
Machar’s legal team accused government officials of mounting a politicised media campaign against him, which they said undermines the presumption of innocence.
The charges and trial have triggered fears of renewed instability in South Sudan, with regional neighbours, the United Nations, and the African Union urging restraint.
The country, which only gained independence in 2011, remains fragile after years of civil conflict between forces loyal to Machar and President Salva Kiir.
The hearing will resume on Wednesday.
