The criminal trial of South Sudan’s suspended vice president, Riek Machar, opened Monday in the capital Juba, marking his first public appearance since being placed under house arrest in March.
Machar, seen in court alongside seven co-defendants inside a cage, faces charges of treason, crimes against humanity, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, and the destruction of public property and military assets. The proceedings, handled by a special court, were broadcast live on national television.
President Salva Kiir suspended Machar earlier this month after prosecutors accused him of involvement in an attack on a government garrison earlier this year.
Machar’s lawyers challenged the trial’s legitimacy, calling it “an incompetent court” without jurisdiction. They argued that prosecuting Machar undermines the 2018 peace deal between Kiir and Machar, which ended a five-year civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people and established the current transitional government.
Defense attorneys maintained that Machar legally remains First Vice President under the terms of the agreement, which was brokered with the support of regional and international mediators.
The trial has heightened tensions in South Sudan, where government forces continue to battle armed groups believed to be loyal to Machar, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
Proceedings were adjourned until Tuesday.
