How Dr. Machar and co-accused’s defense cornered lead investigator
The courtroom inside Freedom Hall fell into tense silence as the defense team for First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar began cross-examining the state’s lead investigator, Maj. Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani. What followed in the sixteenth session of the Nasir Incident trial unfolded as a day of tense exchanges and probing questions that put the […]
CDF issues ultimatum to armed youth in Warrap, Jonglei
South Sudan’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Dr. Paul Nang Majok, has issued a stern ultimatum directing armed youth in Warrap and Jonglei States to immediately disarm and vacate contested areas or face punitive military action. In a set of directives released from the SSPDF General Headquarters in Bilpam, the army chief ordered armed civilians […]
Army chief declares Nhial Deng Nhial a rebel following formation of new party
South Sudan’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Paul Nang Majok, has declared that the army will take firm action against individuals accused of taking up arms against the government, including former senior SPLM official Nhial Deng Nhial, who recently announced the formation of a new political party. According to Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, […]
Peace advocates threaten legal action against SSPDF, SPLM-IO over ongoing clashes
South Sudan’s peace advocates have condemned renewed fighting between government and opposition forces in Unity State, warning they may take legal action against the warring parties for breaching the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Executive Director Edmond Yakani said on Tuesday that the recent clashes in Ropkona County, which left […]
Investigator ties Dr. Machar to Nasir garrison deaths through neglect
On Monday, Maj. Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani, the lead investigator in the Nasir garrison attack case, accused Dr. Riek Machar, the suspended First Vice President, of failing to prevent a deadly assault that left more than 250 South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) soldiers dead. Wani told the special court that Machar, as Commander-in-Chief of […]
Report says 78% of South Sudan soldiers face mental health crisis
A new study within South Sudan’s Ministry of Defence has sounded the alarm over a mental health emergency among the country’s armed forces, revealing that more than 78% of soldiers and veterans are battling mental health challenges ranging from trauma and anxiety to depression. The shocking figures were disclosed by Dr. Michael Deng Demonychol, a […]
Investigator tells court: Suspended minister sent $30,000 to white army
A lead investigator on Friday delivered explosive testimony linking South Sudan’s suspended Petroleum Minister, Puot Kang Chuol, to a militia attack that left hundreds of soldiers dead in Nasir earlier this year. In a tense session of the special high court, Maj. Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani, the Police Commissioner of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, […]
Gen. Nang gets Kiir’s re-blessing as new South Sudan army chief
President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the Commander-in-Chief of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), has reappointed Dr. Paul Nang Majok as the Chief of Defence Forces, calling on the army to remain apolitical and focused on defending the nation. Speaking during the leadership handover ceremony at the Military Headquarters in Bilpham, President Kiir directed the […]
South Sudan’s security chiefs resolve to dismantle checkpoints, deploy road patrols
South Sudan’s top security chiefs have resolved to permanently dismantle illegal checkpoints and deploy joint highway patrols in response to rising insecurity and mounting public outcry over harassment and ambushes along major roads. The decision was reached on Wednesday during a high-level meeting that brought together the leadership of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces […]
SSPDF bombs SPLM-IO base a day after UN war alert
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) have launched fresh bombardments on SPLM-IO bases in Kubuur Ngap and Achot, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, near Wau, early Tuesday. This comes just a day after the United Nations Commission on Human Rights warned that South Sudan is teetering on the brink of a full-scale return to […]
