21/10/2025
A Trial That Insults Justice and the Nation’s Intelligence
Day 12 of the ongoing trial against First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and six co-accused has left any serious observer with one conclusion this is not justice. It is an insult to the law, to logic, and to the people of South Sudan.
The so-called “expert witness” presented what can only be described as the weakest, most embarrassing evidence ever brought before a court. On Dr. Machar, the accusation was that he formed a committee to receive the SSPDF but that the committee failed to stop the White Army from overrunning a military garrison. Since when did forming a committee become a criminal act? Since when did failure to control irregular fighters become treason?
Against Gatwech Lam Puoch, the “crime” is that he held a press conference where he criticized the SSPDF. Freedom of expression a fundamental right protected by our Constitution is now being criminalized in broad daylight.
Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam is accused of failing to stop an attack. The absurdity here speaks for itself. A general in the midst of a chaotic, fragmented conflict cannot be held personally liable for every skirmish beyond his command structure.
Camilo Gatmai is accused of sharing unspecified “classified information,” yet no one can point to what that information was. How can a court consider an accusation without evidence? What standard of proof is this?
Mam Pal’s case is even more astonishing sending money via Kenyan mobile services. That is not a crime in any jurisdiction on earth. Mading Riek Yak allegedly deleted phone data something every person does routinely to clear storage or maintain privacy. And Dominic Gatgok, a generator operator, is accused simply because he received a list of SPLA-IO promotions.
If this is what the prosecution calls evidence, then the case has no legal standing, no moral foundation, and no credibility. The prosecutors have made a mockery of due process. Instead of seeking truth and justice, they are performing a political exercise intended to humiliate and neutralize certain individuals.
The defense team and even the judges appeared disillusioned, and rightly so. What is the purpose of this proceeding if the outcome is already predetermined? What message does this send to our citizens that the law is a weapon, not a safeguard?
This trial exposes a deeper sickness in our justice system one where political loyalty outweighs integrity, and where truth is sacrificed for propaganda. The government prosecutors have failed not only in their legal duty but also in their national duty to uphold justice without fear or favor.
If South Sudan is serious about peace, reconciliation, and democracy, then this trial must not continue as a tool of political persecution. It should be a test of justice not a theater of power.
Right now, it stands as a national embarrassment a shameful chapter that undermines every promise of rule of law that this country has ever made.
