South Sudan Political Harassment and War Victims Monitoring

15/10/2025

This is what we stated earlier, the defense was wrong to bring up expired mandate of the court to try to dismiss the case. This implied that finally they recognize it's juridiction on Machar's case... What remained for Kiir and associate was to extend the mandate... Problem of legality of the court solved!
Kiir 1-0 Machar.

South Sudan’s Chief Justice has extended the mandate of the special court trying suspended First Vice President Riek Machar and seven co-accused members of the SPLM-IO until the conclusion of the trial.

The court’s original time frame expired on 8 October 2025, prompting the extension.

During the court’s tenth session, prosecutors presented 14 additional exhibits against the accused before the three-judge panel. Thirteen of the exhibits were marked and admitted, while the fourteenth was set aside for cross-examination.

The presiding judge adjourned the hearing until Friday.

South Sudan’s Chief Justice has extended the mandate of the special court trying suspended First Vice President Riek Machar and seven co-accused members of the SPLM-IO until the conclusion of the trial.

The court’s original time frame expired on 8 October 2025, prompting the extension.

During the court’s tenth session, prosecutors presented 14 additional exhibits against the accused before the three-judge panel. Thirteen of the exhibits were marked and admitted, while the fourteenth was set aside for cross-examination.

The presiding judge adjourned the hearing until Friday.

09/10/2025

Message to the People of South Sudan and the International Community.

To the people of South Sudan and the global community,

We, the National Democratic Platform/Army, bring attention to the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in South Sudan. The nation's future hangs in the balance as 9.3 million people, including 4.9 million children, require humanitarian assistance. The ongoing conflict, intercommunal violence, and climate-related disasters have led to [1]:
Severe Food Insecurity: 7.1 million South Sudanese face crisis levels of food insecurity, with 2.1 million children projected to endure acute malnutrition in 2025.
Displacement and Refugees: 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 2.27 million South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries, with over 720,000 people fleeing Sudan's conflict into South Sudan.
Health Crisis: Limited access to healthcare, with a severe shortage of trained health professionals, and growing demands for basic health care services.

Human Rights Violations.

The conflict has resulted in egregious human rights abuses, including:
Violence Against Civilians: 920 incidents of violence affecting 871 civilians, with 395 killed, 281 injured, and 166 abducted between January and March 2023.
Systematic Sexual Violence: R**e and other forms of sexual violence used as a war tactic, with many women and girls unable to report incidents or access medical care.

Call to Action

We urge the international community to take immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. This includes:
Providing Urgent Humanitarian Assistance: Food, shelter, healthcare, and protection services to those in need.
Protecting Human Rights: Holding perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable and ensuring justice for victims.
Promoting Dignity and Respect: Supporting initiatives that promote dignity, respect, and inclusivity for all citizens.

Our Commitment

As the National Democratic Platform/Army, we are committed to working towards a peaceful and stable South Sudan, where human rights are respected, and all citizens can live with dignity.

National Democratic Platform/Army.

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08/10/2025

Update: Proceedings of the Eighth (8) Session of the Sham Trial of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar and Seven Other Detainees from the SPLM/A (IO)

8 October 2025

Today, the so-called Special Court on the Nasir Incident, established by the SPLM (IG) to prosecute the First Vice President, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, and seven other SPLM/A (IO) detainees, held its eighth session at Freedom Hall in Juba.

During the session, the prosecution submitted four (4) additional exhibits and two (2) physical exhibits as evidence against the eight (8) SPLM/A (IO) detainees. The sham court admitted in principle the submitted exhibits despite the objections from the defense team. The submitted exhibits were:

Tenth Exhibit:
• A letter from the Board of Directors of the National Communications Authority (NCA) concerning the extraction of data from electronic devices (phones and laptops… etc) belonging to detainees of the SPLM/A (IO), dated 5 September 2025.
• A Ministerial Order issued by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, appointing an individual to photograph the alleged evidence extracted from the devices, dated 5 September 2025.
• A Ministerial Order issued by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs approving the photographs taken of the alleged evidence, dated 5 September 2025.
It should be noted that all three documents were issued after the case file was referred to the so-called Special Court on 1 September 2025.

Eleventh Exhibit:
• A report from the Board of Directors of the National Security Service regarding a radio-signal device allegedly belonging to H.E. Dr. Riek Machar, dated 3 September 2025 —issued after the case file had already been referred to the so-called Special Court on 1 September 2025.
• USB flash drives allegedly containing video clips and audio recordings related to the Nasir incident.
• A notebook allegedly containing outgoing and incoming communication data from the said radio-signal device connected to the incident. (Objected to by the defense team on the following grounds):
1. Violation of privacy and contravention of Article 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.
2. The radio-signal device was confiscated without a search warrant issued by the Public Prosecution or a competent court.
3. The notebook was obtained unlawfully, as proper search protocols were not followed, in violation of Articles 107 and 108 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2008.

Twelfth Exhibit:
• A report from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), signed by General Santino Deng Akot, regarding the evacuation of its forces from Nasir, dated 10 March 2025. (Objected to by the defense team on the grounds that the airlift and evacuation of late General David Majur Dak and the remaining SSPDF soldiers—following the Armed Youth’s overrun of the SSPDF base in Wech-Yar-Adiu, Nasir, on 4 March 2025—as well as subsequent evacuation efforts taken after the 7 March 2025 incident—including the recovery and evacuation of the bodies of the late General Majur and a UN crew member, and the evacuation of scattered SSPDF soldiers from Jonglei and Upper Nile States—were coordinated by Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon with the knowledge of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the Cabinet, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and the other guarantors of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.)

Thirteenth Exhibit:
• Press Statement No. 16026/2025 issued by the United Nations Security Council on 21 March 2025, titled "Attack Against United Nations Mission in South Sudan." (The statement made no reference to the role or involvement of the eight SPLM/A (IO) detainees “accused” in the Nasir incident.)

The Prosecution Submitted Two (2) Physical Exhibits:
1. A Samsung mobile phone.
2. A MacBook laptop.
The prosecution claimed that both devices belonged to Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon. (Objected to by the defense team on the following grounds:)
a) Violation of privacy and contravention of Article 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.
b) The electronic devices were confiscated without a search warrant issued by the Public Prosecution or a competent court.
c) Search protocols were not followed, in violation of Articles 107 and 108 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2008.
The court did not issue a ruling on these two (2) physical exhibits today. A decision has been postponed until the arrival of the so-called forensic expert contracted by the SPLM (IG), who is tasked with analyzing the data allegedly extracted from the mobile phones and laptops belonging to Dr. Riek Machar and other SPLM/A (IO) detainees.

The session was adjourned and will resume on Monday, 13 October 2025.

The so-called Special Court permitted the defense team to visit the seven (7) detainees held at the National Security Service detention facility at the Blue House for a period of one hour.

It's worth noting that Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, Deputy Chief of Defense Forces of the SSPDF, Chief of the Staff of the SPLA (IO) and Co-Chair of the Joint Defense Board (JDB); 1st Lt. Mading Yak Riek, Radio-signal personnel in the SPLA (IO); and Mr. Dominic Gatgok Riek, generator operator at the office of the First Vice President have been moved from Jamus and Tiger detention centres in Giada to the Blue House.

The court also granted permission for Hon. Gatwech Lam Puoch to visit his family to offer condolences following the passing of a relative.

The SPLM/A (IO) reiterates its rejection of the so-called Special Court, which it views as a mechanism created to abrogate the Revitalized Agreement and to conduct a political witch-hunt against Dr. Riek Machar and the SPLM/A (IO). The movement calls for the immediate and unconditional release of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon and all SPLM/A (IO) detainees.

Cde. Puok Both Baluang

08/10/2025

SPLM-IO Dismisses Division Claims, Slams RJMEC Remarks as Misleading

Juba, July 1, 2025 —A senior official from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), Pal Mai Deng, has strongly rejected claims of internal division within the movement, calling recent remarks made by RJMEC’s Interim Chairperson “misleading and untrue.”

The response came after H.E. Amb. Maj. Gen. (rtd) George Aggrey Owinow of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) raised concerns about internal SPLM-IO divisions in a press statement issued on June 30, 2025. The RJMEC chief had urged SPLM-IO factions to resolve internal disputes in order to fully participate in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Pal Mai Deng refuted the RJMEC chief’s claim, asserting that the SPLM-IO remains “intact, undivided, and formidable.”

“The impression that we are divided is absolutely and entirely untrue,” Pal Mai wrote, adding that the SPLM-IO leadership is unified and fully committed to the peace process.

He criticized efforts to equate former member Hon. Stephen Par with the SPLM-IO movement, describing such comparisons as dishonest. According to Pal Mai, Hon. Par was expelled from the movement for “collaborative behavior” and had been coerced after his detention into aligning with the SPLM-In Government (SPLM-IG).

“Hon. Stephen Par’s ploy is clear to everyone involved in South Sudan’s peace effort,” he added.

The rebuttal signals growing tension between SPLM-IO and RJMEC, as the country inches closer to the end of the transitional period and prepares for long-awaited elections.

In his earlier statement, RJMEC Interim Chairperson Owinow emphasized the urgency of implementing pending tasks under the R-ARCSS roadmap and expressed concern over delays, limited resources, and political instability particularly within SPLM-IO as barriers to peace.

Despite the exchange, RJMEC has reiterated its commitment to engaging all parties and stakeholders to ensure inclusive and timely implementation of the peace agreement.

08/10/2025

"The Immediate Cause of the Athony Crisis in Southern Abyei"

Abyei Three Horns

The events escalated following an initial dispute between two individuals, when some Twic military personnel intervened using racist language against the Nuer community, such as: “By God, these Nuer…” and “What do these Nuer want?”, without limiting the issue to the individuals directly involved.

Amid this escalation, some individuals issued veiled threats toward Nuer members, prompting the Nuer to withdraw peacefully as a precautionary measure to prevent any potential conflict or unrest.