JUBA | September 12, 2025, South Sudan’s suspended First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, has for the first time met with his legal team since being placed under house arrest nearly six months ago. The closed-door meeting, which took place on Friday in the capital Juba, lasted just under two hours and marked the beginning of Machar’s formal preparations for trial. He was detained by security forces on March 26, after troops surrounded his residence in Juba.
The high-profile case took a new turn on Thursday when Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech announced that Machar and seven others had been formally charged with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity. The charges stem from a March assault on a military base in Nasir, Upper Nile State, that left more than 250 government soldiers dead. Authorities allege the White Army militia, said to be under Machar’s command, orchestrated the attack. Following the announcement, President Salva Kiir moved swiftly to suspend Machar and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol from their posts, pending the outcome of the judicial process.
Sources familiar with the case confirmed to Unity Times that Machar met with a team of independent lawyers, including Kur Lual Kur and Waryang Kiir Warnyang. “This was an initial consultative meeting,” a source said on condition of anonymity. “While some of the lawyers present are volunteering their services, the final composition of the defence team has yet to be confirmed.”
The SPLM-IO’s legal and legislation committee, chaired by Dr. Riang Yer Zuor—who also heads the Constitutional Review Commission—has reportedly recommended additional legal experts for the team. “What I can confirm is that Dr. Machar did meet with a few lawyers to begin reviewing the case file ahead of the upcoming trial,” an opposition official told Unity Times.
Despite the formal charges, over 70 members of Machar’s security unit remain in custody at the Tiger Division barracks in Juba. Among those detained are several officials from Lakes State, including the deputy governor and local ministers. Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry has named 13 individuals still at large, including senior SPLM-IO figures such as Oyet Nathaniel, Pal Mai, Yiey Dak, and Pouk Both Baluang. One opposition leader, who visited the suspended Vice President during the meeting, said Machar appeared to be in “good health and high spirits,” despite the gravity of the charges.
The legal proceedings are expected to test South Sudan’s fragile political balance, coming at a time of heightened tensions between rival factions of the unity government. As the country braces for what could be a precedent-setting trial, the spotlight remains firmly on Juba.
