A special court in South Sudan has ruled it has jurisdiction to try suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar and seven co-accused on charges including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity, dismissing defense objections over constitutionality and immunity.
Presiding Judge James Alala said the panel’s authority derives from the Transitional Constitution of 2011 (as amended), noting that a promised African Union-backed hybrid court—cited by the defense—has not been established. “The special court enjoys jurisdiction to try this case,” he ruled, adding that constitutional immunity applies to the president, not the first vice-president.
Machar, who has been under house arrest since March, rejects the charges—filed two weeks ago—as a political “witch-hunt.” Prosecutors link the case to a March attack by a militia allegedly aligned with him that killed a general and about 250 soldiers.
The court also expelled two of Machar’s lawyers over lapsed licenses, allowing them to return once renewed. His lead counsel, Geri Raimondo Legge Lubati, accused officials of waging a “politicised media campaign,” arguing it undermines the presumption of innocence.
The proceedings, which continued Wednesday after the ruling, have heightened fears of renewed conflict in the country, where a 2018 peace deal ended five years of war between forces loyal to Machar and President Salva Kiir. The UN, African Union, and neighboring states have urged calm.
