Juba | March 25, 2026
The trial of South Sudan’s suspended First Vice President, Riek Machar, has been postponed until Monday, March 30, 2026, following the illness of one of the presiding judges.The adjournment was announced on Wednesday during a court session in Juba by Judge Stephen Simon Binjigwa.
He stated that proceedings could not continue due to the sickness of Justice Isaac Pur Majok, who is part of the three-judge panel overseeing the case. The court had been scheduled to proceed with the cross-examination of a digital forensic expert.
Machar, 73, is on trial alongside seven co-accused individuals facing multiple charges, including murder, terrorism, treason, conspiracy, destruction of public property, and crimes against humanity. He remains under house arrest, while the other defendants are being held in detention facilities operated by the National Security Service in Juba.
Prosecutors allege that forces allied with the SPLA-IO, together with the White Army, carried out an attack on a military base in Nasir in March 2025. The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of 257 South Sudan People’s Defense Forces soldiers, including a senior commander, and caused the destruction or seizure of military equipment valued at about $58 million.
The hearing is expected to resume next week, with the defense continuing its cross-examination of the forensic expert.
