In a strongly worded statement dated 8th November 2025, Reath Muoch Tang, the SPLM-IO Acting Chairperson for the National Committee on Foreign Relations and former Member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, said the reported plan comes at a time when the prosecution has “failed to present any concrete evidence” against First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven other SPLM-IO political and military figures detained in connection with the 2023 Nasir incident.
According to Tang, the decision to relocate the court follows the collapse of the prosecution’s case during the 18th court session held on November 5. He said the defense team’s cross-examination of the lead investigator, Major General Basilio Thomas Wani, revealed major gaps in the investigation and exposed the politically motivated nature of the charges.
“The investigator failed to answer multiple questions concerning the source, authenticity, and legality of the evidence used to formulate the charges,” Tang stated, adding that the officer’s testimony confirmed that Dr. Machar had, in fact, sought to prevent violence in Nasir.
The SPLM-IO said that on February 27, 2025—before the incident occurred—Dr. Machar wrote to President Salva Kiir urging dialogue to avert escalation, and also instructed local officials to calm tensions. The movement argued that these actions clearly showed Machar’s intent for peace, contradicting government claims of his involvement in incitement or armed confrontation.
Despite the defense’s success in undermining the prosecution’s case, Tang alleged that the government is now attempting to “silence public scrutiny” by shifting the court to a less accessible venue. “This is a deliberate attempt to manipulate the judicial process and endanger the lives of the accused, particularly the First Vice President,” he said.
The SPLM-IO further claimed that public dissatisfaction with the trial has been evident in recent sessions, where citizens reportedly booed prosecutors and investigators over weak and contradictory testimonies.
The opposition movement warned that relocating the trial could expose Machar and others to coercion or even enforced disappearance “under the guise of legal procedure.”
It demanded the immediate release of all detained SPLM-IO leaders, describing the proceedings as “a political witch-hunt designed to undermine the peace agreement and tarnish the reputation” of its leadership.
Tang called on IGAD, the African Union, the United Nations, and other international partners to intervene and pressure the government to halt what the SPLM-IO termed an “illegal and politically motivated trial.”
“The continued detention and persecution of our leaders are a direct attack on the integrity of South Sudan’s legal system and a violation of the very peace accord meant to stabilize the country,” the statement concluded.
