By Kei Emmanuel Duku
First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar will be investigated and brought before the court for his alleged role in recent violence that resulted in civilian deaths and property destruction in Ulang, Nasir (Upper Nile), Akobo (Jonglei), and other areas.
According to Vice President for Infrastructure Cluster Taban Deng Gai while speaking to the Muslim faithful on Eid-al-Fitr, the court will determine Dr. Machar’s guilt or innocence.
“The court will determine if he has committed crimes. Once the investigation concludes, he will face an independent, free, and fair trial, where he will have the right to defend himself,” Deng Gai stated.
He asserted that no one, including President Salva Kiir or himself, is above the law. Anyone found guilty will face the full consequences.
Deng Gai argued that Dr. Machar’s arrest and investigation would serve as a deterrent against impunity.
He clarified that Dr. Machar’s house arrest does not affect the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. He assured that the government and other signatories, including SPLM-IO and other opposition parties, will continue its implementation.
“The agreement is not under house arrest; only Dr. Machar is,” Deng Gai said.
He attributed the ongoing violence to the existence of two separate armies led by different commanders-in-chief, tracing the root cause of the current political and military tension in Juba to the 2013 and 2016 conflicts.
“No country in the world operates with two distinct armies,” he stated.
Currently, Dr. Machar commands the SPLA-IO, while President Kiir leads the South Sudan Defense Forces. Deng Gai argued that this division fuels conflict.
“At one point, we had five to seven commanders-in-chief. The constitution is clear: there should be one commander, the president,” he added.
Deng Gai stressed the need for the expedited unification of forces, a process that should have been completed eight months after the 2018 agreement.
Last Friday, government spokesperson Michael Makuei alleged that Dr. Machar had been in contact with ground forces, inciting a rebellion to disrupt the peace process and elections.
Dr. Machar is currently under arrest.