The Special Court in Juba has extended its mandate to continue hearing the treason trial of South Sudan’s suspended First Vice President, Riek Machar, and seven co-accused after rejecting a defence motion that questioned the court’s legality and jurisdiction.
The one-month mandate of the special court expired on October 8, prompting Machar’s lead counsel, Dr. Geri Raimondo Legge, to file a motion challenging its legal authority. However, during Wednesday’s 10th session, Presiding Judge James Alala Deng dismissed the challenge and announced that the court’s term would be extended “until the trial concludes.”
The case, which began on September 22, stems from a March 2025 attack on a military base in Nasir County that left Gen. David Majur Dak and dozens of soldiers dead. The government accuses forces loyal to Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) and an allied militia, the White Army, of orchestrating the assault.
Machar, 73, and his seven co-defendants face multiple charges, including treason, crimes against humanity, mass murder, terrorism, and destruction of property.
The co-accused are: Puot Kang Chuol (40), Mam Pal Dhuor (37), Gatwech Lam Puoch (66), Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam (53), Kamilo Gatmai Kel (47), Mading Yak Riek (45), and Dominic Gatgok Riek (27).
During Wednesday’s hearing at Freedom Hall in Juba, the court addressed the admissibility of evidence, focusing on mobile phones seized during the defendants’ arrest. The defence argued the seizures violated Article 22 of South Sudan’s Constitution and sections of the 2008 Criminal Procedure Act, claiming they were conducted without warrants.
The prosecution, however, maintained the items were lawfully obtained
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