Nairobi, Kenya- South Sudan’s fragile peace deal is facing its toughest test yet. Vice-President Riek Machar has been formally charged with murder, treason, terrorism, and crimes against humanity over a deadly assault on a military base that left more than 250 soldiers dead, the country’s Justice Minister announced Thursday.
The charges stem from a March attack in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, allegedly carried out by the White Army, a militia drawn from Machar’s Nuer community.
The assault, which lasted several days, has now pushed the country closer to another political rupture between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival.
A Fragile Power-Sharing Deal in Jeopardy
South Sudan’s government says Machar bears direct responsibility for the Nasir raid, accusing him and 20 others of orchestrating a campaign that violated international humanitarian law.
Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech described the crimes as including the desecration of corpses, attacks on civilians, and assaults on humanitarian workers, citing gross breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
The violence, which erupted between March 3 and 7, left senior officers, including a general, dead. A United Nations helicopter attempting to evacuate troops also came under fire, killing its pilot and further escalating the international outcry.
“This case sends a clear message: those who commit atrocities against the people of South Sudan, our armed forces, and humanitarian personnel will be held accountable—no matter their position or political influence,” Akech said in his statement.
Escalating Tensions and International Concern
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) warned at the time that the attack marked “an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress.”
The White Army’s actions not only reignited ethnic tensions but also deepened mistrust between Kiir and Machar, whose uneasy coalition has been fraying for months.
In the aftermath, Machar was placed under house arrest, while many of his allies were detained as Kiir consolidated his grip on power.
The developments come against a backdrop of postponed elections, originally slated for December 2024 but now delayed for two more years, adding to concerns over the country’s democratic transition.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 only to be consumed by a brutal five-year civil war between Kiir and Machar.
That conflict killed an estimated 400,000 people before the 2018 power-sharing agreement was signed. Yet, despite international mediation, the promise of stability has remained elusive.
The latest charges against Machar mark a pivotal moment for South Sudan’s future. While the government insists accountability is essential for justice and stability, critics warn the move could further destabilize the fragile coalition and risk dragging the country back into conflict.
