Juba courtroom hears chilling survivor account
Inside a packed special tribunal, Regimental Sergeant Major Ater Bol Piol recalled the March 6, 2025 assault on Nasir garrison. His words, delivered during the court’s 33rd sitting, painted a vivid picture of panic as the base fell to White Army fighters aligned with SPLA-IO.
Chaos under night fire
Bol said hunger and disorientation forced roughly thirty soldiers to abandon an armored vehicle at 9 p.m. Gunfire erupted instantly. The fleeing squad reached Wicyuel, met a wide river, then hesitated, fearing non-swimmers would drown. They bivouacked near the shattered camp, hoping dawn might offer safer passage.
Fatal ambush at first light
Early the next morning the group stumbled into an ambush. Five soldiers died where they stood; Bol dove beneath a thorn tree. He fought alone for three days, nursing scant ammunition and water. “They dropped beside me in seconds,” he told judges, his voice steady yet restrained.
Capture and unexpected clemency
On the fourth day SPLA-IO fighters seized Bol. An officer recognized him as the medic who once treated his sick son and ordered subordinates to protect the captive. Bol and five others trekked toward Malakal, steering by moonlight, until a phone call exposed his identity and ended the flight.
High-profile defendants under spotlight
Former vice president Dr. Riek Machar, 72, stands charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity over the Nasir operation that left Major General David Majur Dak, 250 soldiers and a UNMISS crew member dead. Prosecutors link the White Army militia directly to Machar’s command structure.
Trial timeline advances
Judges adjourned proceedings to 22 December 2025, allowing defense lawyers to cross-examine Bol. Observers expect pointed questions on chain-of-command and battlefield communications, issues likely to shape the tribunal’s eventual verdict. Regional legal analysts say the case could redefine accountability standards in South Sudan’s protracted conflict.