Riek Machar: Nasir Attack Testimony Refutes Order Allegations

• Former FVP Riek Machar denied ordering an attack on the Nasir garrison in March 2025 during his trial testimony.
• Machar refuted claims by Benjamin Bol Mel, providing his own account of SSPDF troop movements and logistical efforts that were not attacked.
• He also denied requests to deploy SPLA-IO as a buffer and clarified his interactions with the UN regarding evacuations.
• Machar and seven co-defendants face charges including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity, with his trial adjourned until November 2, 2026.
• Machar linked the Nasir incident to broader SPLA-IO and SSPDF clashes and expressed concerns that the Tumaini Consensus could undermine the 2018 peace agreement.

During the 125th session of his ongoing trial, former South Sudan First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar offered his Riek Machar Nasir attack testimony, explicitly denying any directive to White Army leader Tor Gille Thoan to assault the military garrison in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025.

During the 125th session of his ongoing trial, former South Sudan First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar offered his Riek Machar Nasir attack testimony, explicitly denying any directive to White Army leader Tor Gille Thoan to assault the military garrison in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025. Machar directly challenged allegations attributed to former Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, who reportedly claimed in a eulogy for Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak that Machar had issued such an order after learning that government troop transport boats were unable to reach Nasir. Machar stated he was unaware of the specific nature of any orders given to Thoan, clarifying that barges were intended to transport South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) personnel to relieve or replace existing soldiers at the Wec-Yar-Adiu garrison within Nasir.

Machar further elaborated on the logistical efforts, explaining that two committees, comprising members from Nasir and Ulang, had been established to facilitate the reception of these soldiers. He asserted that these barges were never attacked. On March 1, 2025, Machar recounted instructing the two commissioners, local chiefs, and youth leaders to direct young people back to their villages in Nasir County, with their departure from Nasir and Ulang confirmed the following day by the commissioners. He also detailed a telephone conference with the commissioners, Upper Nile State Governor James Odhok, and then-Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Paul Nang Majok, which occurred after gunboats became stranded at Malual. Machar proposed hiring six large boats to transport SSPDF forces and their supplies to Wec-Yar-Adiu, a suggestion Gen. Majok reportedly accepted, agreeing to pay $60,000 as requested by the boat owners. However, Machar noted that the mission was ultimately called off without his knowledge, despite the Ulang commissioner and committee members having located the stuck gunboats and met with their commander.

Machar also refuted Benjamin Bol Mel Nasir claims that he had been asked to deploy Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) forces to act as a buffer between government troops and the White Army in Nasir, stating no such request was made. Instead, he pointed to earlier clashes in February 2024 between SSPDF troops and local youth in Nasir, during which SPLA-IO forces were deployed to create a buffer zone in Nasir town before withdrawing once relations between government forces and local youth improved. Additionally, Machar rejected accusations of non-cooperation with the United Nations or misleading the international body regarding the situation in Nasir, clarifying that he had, in fact, requested the UN to evacuate Gen. David Majur Dak and 26 soldiers from Nasir after youth had captured Wec-Yar-Adiw.

The Riek Machar trial South Sudan is currently underway, with Machar, identified as the fifth accused, facing a litany of serious charges alongside seven co-defendants. These charges encompass murder, conspiracy, terrorism, treason, destruction of public property, and South Sudan crimes against humanity. The gravity of these accusations underscores the significant legal scrutiny surrounding the former First Vice President and his alleged involvement in the Nasir garrison attack March 2025.

While Dr. Machar remains under house arrest, his co-defendants are detained in National Security Service facilities located in Juba. The court has adjourned the session until Monday, November 2, 2026, when Machar is scheduled to continue presenting his defense testimony. This extended timeline highlights the complex and protracted nature of the legal proceedings, which are closely watched for their implications on accountability within the nation.

The incident in Nasir unfolded against a backdrop of escalating political tensions and military engagements across South Sudan. Dr. Machar highlighted significant SPLA-IO SSPDF clashes in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Western Equatoria during January and February 2025. Initially, he perceived these confrontations as violations of the existing peace agreement, but his assessment evolved to conclude that the country was on a trajectory back towards widespread conflict.

Further complicating the political environment were disagreements surrounding the Tumaini Consensus, which was a subject of discussion during peace talks held in Nairobi with opposition groups that had not been signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Machar articulated his concern that the proposed consensus carried the inherent risk of undermining both the foundational 2018 peace agreement and the very sovereignty of South Sudan, indicating deep divisions over the path to lasting stability.

Lawyers and compliance officers should monitor the ongoing trial of former FVP Riek Machar, particularly his defense against charges of crimes against humanity related to the Nasir attack, as the outcome could set precedents for accountability in South Sudan and impact political stability and future legal interpretations of conflict-related offenses.

Source: Original reporting via Radio Tamazuj