South Sudan’s political crisis deepened Friday as President Salva Kiir suspended First Vice President Riek Machar after prosecutors charged him with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity. The charges stem from alleged militia attacks in March that left dozens dead and displaced thousands.
Alongside Machar, Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol was also suspended pending investigations. The presidency said the move was necessary to “safeguard the integrity of state institutions” while legal proceedings unfold.
Machar, a key figure in South Sudan’s fragile power-sharing government, has long been a rival to Kiir. Their uneasy coalition was established under a 2018 peace deal that ended years of civil war, but tensions have persisted.
Opposition allies condemned the suspension as politically motivated, warning it could unravel the peace agreement. International observers, including the African Union and United Nations, have urged restraint and due process, fearing renewed instability in the oil-rich but conflict-prone nation.
The trial of Machar, if it proceeds, would mark an unprecedented moment in South Sudan’s short history — putting one of its most powerful leaders in the dock while raising fresh uncertainty over the country’s political future.