JUBA – The first court appearance for SPLM-IO officials including Dr. Riek Machar and Puot Kang Chol will be aired live on South Sudan Broadcasting Cooperation (SSBC), a source familiar with the matter confirmed, amid tight security in the capital.
Machar and seven top military and political officials were indicted early this month on serious charges of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity, following the conclusion of an investigation on the fighting in Nasir County.
The SPLM-IO leader and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol were then suspended from office by President Kiir on September 11, to allow the legal proceedings against them.
“As the court proceeding / trail of the accused Dr. Riek Machar Teny and other seven top military and political leaders of SPLM-IO commences tomorrow, Monday 22nd/ 2025, at Freedom Hall, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation SSBC would be broadcasting LIVE coverage of this event in the morning hours,” SSBC journalist Gore Anthony confirmed, in a statement on social media.
He said the decision to air the court appearance live is due “to the fact that the nature of the case is not only a matter of National and Regional but also International concern.”
Several roads to Customs residential area, including those passing through Konyo-Konyo and Juba Town via the University of Juba roundabout, have been cordoned off to motorists and boda-bodas on Monday morning ahead of the first court appearance at Freedom Hall.
SPLM-IO says deal dead
The SPLM/A-IO has since declared that the 2018 revitalized peace agreement has effectively collapsed and called on its members to take up arms against the government, following Machar’s indictment which they termed a political witch-hunt.
The group said it held a virtual meeting on September 14 to deliberate on the recent suspension and indictment of its leader Dr. Riek Machar on serious charges following the conclusion of a government-led investigation into Nasir incident.
The meeting rejected and condemned Machar’s suspension as contrary to articles on the composition, structure and allocation of ministerial dockets in the R-TGoNU.
The statement said the suspension of Machar is a grave violation of the agreement, which effectively brings the implementation of political and security provisions of the R-ARCSS to a complete stop.
“In light of this unfortunate development, the SPLM/A-IO resolves that the government has collapsed, its structure and mandate has been destroyed, its legitimacy ended,” noted the document.
“The current regime in South Sudan is not based on the R-ARCSS. It is a setup of dictatorship, peace spoilers, and state capture that is holding power illegally and by violence.”
“As such, the SPLM/A-IO shall work to effect in the Republic of South Sudan a regime change and a new political dispensation of peace, justice, equality, democracy, rule of law and development.”
