The court stated that a public hearing will be held on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, and will be opened to the media and the general public.
By Chuol Chanyong
The Special Court handling the Nasir attack case, in which Dr. Riek Machar and seven other defendants are on trial, has announced the resumption of public hearings following the completion of testimony from the last protected witnesses.
The court stated that a public hearing will be held on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, and will be opened to the media and the general public.
The upcoming forty-fourth session will be dedicated to hearing testimony from an electronic devices expert, marking the conclusion of the protected-witness phase of the proceedings.
So far, the prosecution has presented 16 witnesses, eight of whom testified in open court, while the remaining eight gave their testimony in closed sessions under protective measures, without the presence of the media or the public.
In September 2025, the prosecution formally brought serious criminal charges against Dr. Machar and several senior military commanders in connection with the violence that erupted in the town of Nasir in March 2025—an incident described as one of the most “devastating” attacks in South Sudan’s recent history.
During the opening session of the trial, the Chief Prosecutor, Ajo Ohisa, accused Machar and the other defendants of orchestrating a premeditated and well-funded attack carried out by the “White Army” militia.
According to the indictment, the attack resulted in the deaths of dozens of government soldiers and civilians, many of whom were executed by gunfire at close range, while the bodies of some victims were dumped into the Sobat River.
The prosecution alleges that the attack targeted a government military garrison in Nasir between 3 and 7 March 2025, claiming that surrendered soldiers were executed, some bodies were left to decompose, and others were thrown into the river.
Prosecutors further assert that the “White Army” militia acted on direct orders from officers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), and that Machar, as commander-in-chief, supervised and coordinated the operation. They also allege that the defendants incited, armed, organized, and financed the attack, with some opposition leaders coordinating operations from within Juba.
The prosecution plans to call more than 100 witnesses and present forensic and technical evidence, and is seeking court approval to try some defendants in absentia. The charges include violations of more than 20 provisions of South Sudan’s Penal Code of 2008, including murder, terrorism, treason, war crimes, and abuse of office, as well as terrorism financing under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act of 2012.
In a related development, the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) officially announced, in a statement published on its social media platforms, that the trial sessions will be open to the media starting Wednesday, 28 January 2026.
“The Union of Journalists of South Sudan wishes to inform all media institutions and journalists that the special court sessions concerning the detained Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, and the accompanying co-accused will be open to the press starting Wednesday, 28 January 2026.”
UJOSS encouraged journalists to cover the proceedings while emphasizing the need for strict adherence to the rules and regulations set by the court during media coverage.