Testimony Sends Shockwaves Through Court
Freedom Hall fell silent as Major Peter Malual Deng recounted how a top general allegedly failed to relay an attack warning, thrusting the packed special court into one of its most dramatic moments yet.
Ignored Intelligence Under Scrutiny
According to the investigator, Lieutenant General Gabriel Duop Lam received credible intelligence days before the 3 March massacre but neither informed national leaders nor mobilised additional forces, leaving the Nasir garrison exposed.
Unpacking the Nasir Carnage
The overnight assault killed more than 250 soldiers, a senior commander and a UN helicopter crew member, with prosecutors alleging coordination between the feared White Army militia and elements of Dr Riek Machar’s SPLA-IO movement.
Defence Counters With Procedural Questions
Defence lawyers cited previous ceasefire procedures, pressing why the incident bypassed independent monitors and querying the scope of Malual’s probe, while suggesting political figures like MP Gatwech Lam Puoch merely voiced dissent rather than endorsing violence.
Peace Deal Faces Renewed Pressure
The tribunal, chaired by Judge James Alala Deng, adjourned until 5 December, yet the stakes stretch beyond the courtroom, testing South Sudan’s fragile 2018 peace deal and exposing lingering fissures within the armed forces and allied community militias.