28/11/2025
Update: Proceedings of the 26th Session of the Sham Trial of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar and Seven Other SPLM/A (IO) Detainees
Juba, November 28, 2025 β The politically motivated court (known as the "Special Court on Nasir Incident"), established by the SPLM (IG) to try First Vice President H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A (IO), along with seven other senior movement detainees, held its 26th session today at Freedom Hall.
During todayβs session, the defense team cross-examined Major Peter Malual Deng, the prosecutionβs first witness and a Legal Advisor for the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF).
The prosecutionβs witness testified that the SSPDF facts-finding committee tasked with investigating the Nasir incident was not established via a Republican Decree or an Order. Instead, it was formed by the SSPDF Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration and Finance, Lieutenant General Malual Majok Chingkuac, through the directives of the Chief of Staff of the SSPDF.
He also admitted that the members of that committee were unilateralβconsisting only of SSPDF personnelβand did not include any members from the SPLA (IO).
When asked by the defense whether the committee had visited the site of the incident in Nasir or even Malakal town in Upper Nile State, the SSPDF officer responded negatively.
Major Malual stated that the committee relied on the testimonies of surviving witnesses and intelligence reports.
Additionally, the prosecution witness admitted that the committee had not investigated General Santino Deng Wol, the former Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) of the SSPDF; General Dr. Paul Nang Majok, the current CDF of the SSPDF; or Lieutenant General Gabriel Duop Lam, the Acting Chief of Staff of the SPLA (IO), to determine the causes of the Nasir events. Furthermore, the committee had not inquired with the Upper Nile State Security Committee.
The witness further testified that the committee had not investigated the Upper Nile government representatives: State Parliament member Mr. Lony Biel and Deputy Commissioner of the State Revenue Authority, Mr. Both Lee. Both individuals were officially tasked with the mission of evacuating Major General David Majur and other stranded soldiers from Nasir, and they were also the ones who filmed the incident.
Moreover, when the witness was asked about his knowledge regarding the Upper Nile State government holding a press conference on March 7, 2025, to clarify the Nasir events, he denied having any knowledge of it.
When asked if the SSPDF committee had inquired with the United Nations Mission that carried out the evacuation, he denied that they had done so. Major Peter Malual also confirmed that he had no knowledge of the UN Mission conducting an investigation into the events related to the evacuation.
The defense posed a question to the prosecution witness about whether he was aware of UN regulations that generally prohibit carrying weapons aboard its aircraft. Major Malual replied that he had no knowledge regarding this matter.
When asked if there was any document, video footage, or audio recording from the site of the clash confirming that H.E. Dr. Riek Machar or any of the seven accused had issued direct instructions to Mr. Kang Makanaβwhom the witness had directly accused in his previous testimonyβto kill Major General David Majur, he replied that no such evidence existed.
Major Malual answered affirmatively when asked if the committee had used an interpreter to understand the content of a video attributed to the late Tor Gile Thoan, in which he spoke before his forces about being elected as a new leader for the armed youth.
Regarding his understanding of Tor Gileβs statements, in which he indicated that the reason for their attack on the Nasir garrison was the governmentβs sending of the "Abu Shok" and "Agwelek" militias to attack them, in addition to bombing civilians with gunships, he stated that he did not recall this point.
In response to a question about the existence of evidence confirming that Tor Gile received instructions from Dr. Machar or any of the seven SPLM/A (IO) detainees to attack the SSPDF Nasir garrison, the witness gave a definitive negative answer. It is noteworthy that the late Tor Gile stated in the aforementioned video that President Salva Kiir and Dr. Machar were responsible for the deterioration of the security situation in the region and that they should be held accountable. These statements confirm his actual independence and deny that he received instructions from Dr. Machar or the SPLM/A (IO) leadership.
When asked if he was aware of an agreement between the former Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) of the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF), General Santino Deng Wol, and the Acting Chief of Staff of the Sudan Peopleβs Liberation Army (SPLA-IO), General Gabriel Duop Lam β at the level of the Joint Defense Board (JDB) β stipulating that the forces to be transported to Nasir must be "unified forces," he denied knowledge of this agreement.
Malual also confirmed, agreeing with the defense, that General Duop Lam had insisted on sending only unified forces to Nasir, thus rejecting the decision of the new CDF, General Paul Nang Majok, to send one-sided forces to the area, during a closed army command meeting. When asked if General Duop Lam had publicly announced his rejection of this decision in the media, the prosecution witness denied it.
In a related context, Major Peter Malual Deng denied the existence of any document confirming the integration of the "Agwelek" militias into the SSPDF, in response to an inquiry about Republican Order No. 65/2024 (issued on April 3, 2024), which stipulated the "integration of only 12 officers from the SPLM/A (IO) into the South Sudan People's Defense Forces" without mentioning the "Agwelek" militias belonging to General Johnson Olony.
The prosecution witness agreed with the defense that General Olony had stated in a video recorded in Malakal while addressing his forces that he would return to Juba to expedite the procedures for their integration into the army.
These details confirm the accuracy of the statements made by the late Tor Gile, Minister Puot Kang Chol, and MP Gatwech Lam Puoch, who described the "Agwelek" forces as untrained militias.
The presiding judge of the sham court has adjourned the session until Monday, December 1, when the defense is expected to continue cross-examining the prosecutionβs first witness.
The SPLM/A (IO) maintains its rejection of the so-called "Special Court," viewing it as a tool to undermine the Revitalized Agreement and pursue a political witch-hunt against Dr. Riek Machar and the SPLM/A (IO). The movement demands the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Riek Machar and all SPLM/A (IO) detainees.
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Cde. Puok Both Baluang
