The decree, read out on state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), targeted the country’s main armed opposition leader and his closest ally in government.
Both men are senior figures in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), the former rebel movement turned peace partner under the 2018 revitalized peace deal.
Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech earlier in the day told reporters that Machar, Kang, and several other SPLM-IO leaders had been charged with treason and other serious offenses linked to the March 2025 clashes in Nasir.
He said investigations into the incident found evidence implicating senior opposition leaders, including Machar, in coordinating with armed youth militias known as the White Army. That ethnic militia fought alongside the SPLA-IO during the 2013-2018 civil war.
The Nasir violence, one of the deadliest flare-ups since the 2018 peace agreement, left dozens of government soldiers dead, including senior commanders, and triggered aerial bombardments in which rights groups alleged chemical components were used.
The fighting also displaced thousands of civilians and reignited long-simmering distrust between the SPLA-IO and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF). The SSPDF was supposed to be reformed into a professional national army under the 2018 peace deal.
“The following eight accused persons have been charged; Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, Mr. Puot Kang Chol, Lt-Gen Gabriel Duop Lam, Mr. Mam Pal Dhuor, Mr. Gatwich Lam Puoch, Brig-Gen. Camilo Gatmai Kel, Mr. Mading Riek Yak and Mr. Dominic Gatrgok Riek,” he said during a press conference today.
“The court shall henceforth move by the prosecution to serve someone for the appearance of the accused. So based on evidence, the following charges were prepared under South Sudan laws and applicable international laws. One, murder. This is according to Section 206, Penal Code Act 2008, in particular the killing of Major General David Majur, 250 SSPDF soldiers and UN personnel,” he added.
Machar and Kang have been detained since March, when security forces stormed their residences in Juba. Machar was placed under house arrest, while Kang was taken into custody.
Their arrest reignited clashes between SPLA-IO loyalists and government forces in several parts of the country, raising fears of a wider return to conflict.
The suspension of Machar, who has been Kiir’s longtime rival and uneasy peace partner, marks one of the most serious political ruptures in South Sudan’s fragile transition. Analysts say it threatens to unravel the delicate balance of power that has held since the 2018 peace deal and could further delay preparations for elections.
