Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A South African digital forensic investigator testified Monday that the March 2025 Nasir attack was partly the result of suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar’s failure to control his forces, despite admitting he found no direct military orders on Machar’s devices.
Testifying during the 67th session of proceedings at Freedom Hall in Juba, expert Ratlhogo Peter Calvin Rafadi told the court that in his professional opinion, Machar failed in his command responsibility as leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO).
Defense attorney Anis Tombe Augustino pressed the expert on whether his report explicitly concluded that a failure in command led to the killings of Maj. Gen. David Majur, government soldiers, and United Nations crew members. Tombe noted a lack of direct evidence to support such a claim.
Rafadi acknowledged that because he did not have the passwords for Machar’s phone and laptop, he could not extract direct digital evidence. However, he maintained that his analysis supported the conclusion that Machar had failed as a leader of the SPLA-IO.
When asked by the defense to confirm if any data from the devices contained a military order to launch an attack or conduct combat operations, Rafadi said there was no such direct order. He noted, however, that page nine of his report highlights digital evidence of voice call communications.
Under further questioning, Rafadi admitted it was not possible to determine the specific content of those phone conversations. He confirmed that he had been unable to unlock or forensically examine Machar’s personal devices, leading him to include specific recommendations in his report as an investigator.
Regarding the evidentiary basis for linking Machar to the military operations in Nasir, Rafadi pointed to messages extracted from co-accused Puot Kang Chol. In one exchange, Gok Lual reportedly sent a WhatsApp message requesting to speak with “the chairman,” to which Chol replied that a normal phone call was not the best option. Rafadi told the court that such messages indicated a high level of secrecy among the group.
Presiding Judge James Alala Deng adjourned the hearing until Wednesday, April 15, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination.
Machar, 73, who is currently under house arrest, faces charges including murder, conspiracy, terrorism, treason, and crimes against humanity. His co-accused remain detained by the National Security Service.
Prosecutors allege that SPLA-IO forces, allied with the White Army militia, killed 257 South Sudan People’s Defense Forces soldiers, including commander David Majur Dak, and destroyed or seized approximately $58 million in military equipment during the attack on the Nasir garrison in March 2025.
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