Judges presiding over the special court trying suspended
First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven co‑accused have appealed for
peace and reconciliation as South Sudan begins 2026.
The call came on Monday during the 35th session of the trial
at Freedom Hall in Juba, which began with testimony from the prosecution’s
sixth witness.
“It's new year 2026. It's our wish that this country has
peace. We should love each other so that we can have peace in our country,”
said Judge Stephen Simon.
The call was echoed by the defense lead counsel, Dr. Geri
Raimondo, saying, “We hope this year is a year of peace and reconciliation.”
Machar and his co‑accused face charges of murder, treason,
crimes against humanity, and other offenses linked to a March 2025 attack on a
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces garrison in Nasir County, Upper Nile,
carried out by the White Army and alleged elements of the SPLA-IO that killed
257 soldiers, including their commander, Maj. Gen. David Majur.
Following the capture of Nasir County, Machar was placed
under house arrest in March 2025 by President Salva Kiir, a move that
heightened political tension and sporadic violence across the country.
His detention and ongoing trial have strained the fragile
2018 peace deal that brought Machar and Kiir together in a transitional
coalition government, raising fears of renewed conflict among citizens as well as regional and international observers.
Since his arrest, clashes between government forces and
SPLA-IO elements have continued, causing instability in Upper Nile and other
regions.
Despite the security concerns, leaders of political parties,
including a faction of SPLM-IO led by Stephen Par, amended the 2018 peace
agreement to allow elections in 2026 without a permanent constitution or a
national population census.
Machar loyalists, however, have rejected this arrangement
and continue to engage in confrontations with the South Sudan People’s Defence
Forces.
The National Elections Commission has announced it will use the 102 national constituencies from the 2010 general elections for the December 2026 polls across South Sudan’s 10 states and three administrative areas.
