Courtroom Pause Draws Fresh Attention
The special court in Juba on Friday paused its high-profile Nasir incident proceedings, postponing the 11th session to Monday, 19 October 2025, after a dense day of evidence presentation.
Suspended First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and seven co-accused listened as prosecutors tabled documents and digital files purportedly detailing the 2014 violence in Nasir.
Prosecution Builds Narrative With New Evidence
Major General Basilio Wani, the lead investigator, summarised the case, saying that charges were lodged by the Legal Investigation Department in Central Equatoria State and supported by security-service complaints.
“The exhibits tell their own story,” Wani told the three-judge panel before the prosecution sought permission for a post-examination and for trials in absentia of several fugitives.
High-Profile Accused Remain Out Of Reach
Among those cited as still at large are senior commanders Peter Thok Chuol, Dhiling Keak, Peter Ruot, Yiey Dak, William Deng Bum and White Army figure Kang Makana, alongside former Nasir commissioner James Gatluak Lew and ex-Water Minister Pal Mai Deng.
Prosecutors argued that the absence should not stall justice, invoking procedural rules that allow remote adjudication for security-related offences.
Investigator’s Record Faces Rigorous Testing
Cross-examining advocates pressed Wani on his police rank, academic history and prior assignments.
The Commissioner of Police for Northern Bahr el Ghazal replied that he holds a master’s degree in law, teaches at the Police College and once led the 2015-2016 investigation into presidential office embezzlement.
What Monday Could Mean For South Sudan Justice
Legal analysts in Juba caution that the high-level nature of the case could either reinforce public confidence in transitional justice or inflame political tensions if delays persist.
For now, all eyes turn to Monday’s reconvening, where the bench is expected to rule on the admissibility of fresh questioning and clarify the status of the absent defendants.