Special Court Resumes for 24th Session
On Monday, the special court in Juba opened its twenty-fourth session in the case against suspended First Vice-President Dr Riek Machar and seven colleagues. Attendance was recorded, with Judge Pal Ruai noting the continued medical absence of the sixth defendant, General Gatmai Kamilio.
Military Testimony Identifies Commanders
A senior South Sudan People’s Defence Forces officer, testifying for the prosecution, said an official committee blamed White Army commander Kong Makana for the death of Brigadier General Majur after leadership passed to him when Tor Gile died early in the Nasir assault.
He told the bench that Makana’s fighters overran the garrison, captured heavy weapons, and surrounded retreating SSPDF troops, denying them food and water before storming the camp and allegedly killing wounded soldiers.
Video Evidence Highlights Chain of Command
The prosecution introduced a Nuer-language video said to show Tor Gile addressing supporters on 3 March 2025, one day before the attack. Court translator Tong Simon was appointed to render the footage, which prosecutors claim charts the command transfer from Tor Gile to Kong Makana.
Diplomatic Phone Calls and UN Evacuations
According to the witness, after the base fell, Brigadier General Majur and fifty-five soldiers sheltered in armoured carriers. The government, alerted that the group was starving, sought United Nations help, prompting urgent talks with IGAD envoys, presidential advisers and Dr Machar.
The officer recounted three UN evacuation attempts between 5 and 7 March 2025. The first mission aborted amid confusion; the second extracted ten unarmed soldiers; the third went ahead only after Dr Machar phoned commanders, ordering forces to pull back three hundred metres from the landing zone.
Fatal Gunfire Clouds Accountability
As the final flight attempted to lift Gen Majur, gunfire erupted, killing a UN co-pilot and wounding the navigator. Photographs of bullet-riddled fuselage and the deceased officer were entered into evidence, fuelling debate over who triggered the chaotic shooting.
Defence lawyers argue the violence stemmed from rogue militias beyond Machar’s control, while prosecutors maintain the chain of command leads back to the suspended vice-president. Neither side has yet produced telephone records or radio logs to conclusively support its narrative.
Awaited Evidence and Next Hearing
Presiding Judge Pal Ruai adjourned proceedings until Wednesday, 26 November, with the current witness set to continue under cross-examination. Observers expect fresh forensic and satellite evidence to surface as the high-profile trial moves deeper into questions of command responsibility.