Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A senior SSPDF officer testified today in the special court that suspended FVP Dr Riek Machar held a key security phone call meeting with the fugitive defendants shortly before the March 2025 Nasir attack.
The session opened with Presiding Judge James Alala confirming the presence of the prosecution and defense teams. The court officially recorded the absence of the sixth defendant, whose legal team did not provide an explanation for the absence.
Last week, the court had instructed the prosecution to finalize the list of its 16 witnesses. State lawyers announced that eight witnesses preferred to testify behind closed doors, citing security concerns, while the other eight witnesses insisted on giving their testimony publicly.
Today’s sitting was dedicated to the examination of Prosecution Witness No. 1, a senior officer in the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), who was authorized by the army’s high command to testify. His identity is being withheld for security reasons.
After taking the oath, the witness was introduced by prosecution lawyer Martha Juba, who also presented Prosecution Exhibit No. 8: a flash drive containing a comprehensive military report on the March 2025 Nasir events.
The witness informed the court that the report was prepared over six weeks by a seven-member committee. He stated that the committee was tasked with documenting the identities of attackers on the Nasir garrison, the number and names of those killed, wounded, and missing, and a full inventory of lost weaponry, including both small arms and heavy weapons.
The witness emphasized that the Nasir military base has been under SSPDF occupation since 2018, having been established following the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
The witness gave a detailed account spanning October 2024 to March 2025, describing persistent attacks targeting the SSPDF. Ambushes began in October 2024 along the main supply routes. The attacks were reportedly carried out by the White Army and armed opposition elements.
He testified that during one of the attacks, 18 SSPDF soldiers were killed while collecting firewood. In November 2024, the witness stated that 13 unarmed soldiers returning from the local market fell into an ambush and were killed. Furthermore, in February 2025, six soldiers traveling to a fishing site were killed by the White Army.
According to the witness, these repeated attacks created a climate of extreme tension between government forces and local youth groups allied with opposition factions.
The witness said the primary trigger of the March 2025 violence was the government’s decision to relocate SSPDF forces stationed in Nasir. These soldiers had been deployed in Nasir for 8–10 years without rotation. The General Headquarters issued a formal relocation order to replace the Nasir troops with another SSPDF unit.
Deputy Chief of Staff, Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, allegedly refused to implement the order. He argued that the forces being deployed in Nasir are supposed to be part of the unified forces, not SSPDF, Agwleg, and Abushok.
The witness testified that political actors linked to the opposition then launched a “negative political campaign” against the relocation.
He told the court that local leaders and politicians publicly claimed the relocation was a covert plan to disarm civilian youth in Ulang and Nasir. They also accused the SSPDF of being a militia force, creating fear among the local youth.
The witness presented a video of MP Gatwech Lam Puoch allegedly spreading propaganda against the relocation of the forces. He also presented a video showing the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Disarmament visiting Malakal to operationalise the rotation order.
The witness described a crucial security meeting that took place shortly before the outbreak of violence. In attendance, according to him, were Dr Riek Machar, Commissioner Nasir (a defendant), and Tor Gile (the fugitive defendant). He stated that the fugitive defendant, Tor Gile, joined the meeting via phone call.
Shortly after this meeting, the attack on Nasir garrison occurred. The witness further testified that he was at the Nasir base on March 3, 2025, when Commander David Majur was killed in the attack.
After hearing the initial testimony and admitting several exhibits into evidence, Judge James Alala adjourned the hearing to Monday, November 24, for the prosecution to continue examining the witness before cross-examination begins.
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