Reuters
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South Sudan’s first vice president, Leek Machar, was charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity due to alleged involvement in an attack on ethnic militia attacks on federal forces in March, the Justice Minister said Thursday.
Hours after the Minister’s announcement, President Salva Kir stopped Macher from his post, the order read on the state radio said without detail.
Machar and his charges against his suspension escalate a feud between the two major political camps in the country led by Kiir, who faced off in the 2013-2018 Civil War, which killed an estimated 400,000 people.
Kiir also suspended oil minister Puot Kang Chol, who was charged with Machar, the order said.
Machar has been under house arrest since March in connection with an attack by white militias in the northeastern town of Nasir.
International powers have repeatedly called for Macher’s release, warning that his detention could bring the country back into civil war.
“The evidence further reveals that white people acted under the command and influence of certain leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army Opposition (SPLM/A-IO).
“The government of the Republic of South Sudan appreciates the involvement of international partners, public and media in the Nasir case, but this issue is currently a sub-judicial judge,” he said.
Kiel and Machar served in the united government as part of the peace agreement that ended the civil war, but their partnerships are tenuous and sporadic violence continues between both sides.
In addition to Machar, 20 other people were charged in the case. Those 13 are massive, Geng said.
Edmundoyakani, executive director of Community Empowerment, a South Sudan activist group, said in a statement that the court attempted Machar and hoped that the other seven were fair and were “a competent court, not a kangaroo court.”
