Presiding Judge James Alala (center) and his colleagues oversee the trial for Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-accused in the Nasir Incident case, Wednesday, October 1, 2025. (Photo: Eye Radio/Moses Awan)

JUBA, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – The Special Court trial involving Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-defendants has been adjourned to January 5, 2026, following the conclusion of testimony from the prosecution’s fifth witness.

Presiding Judge Dr. James Alala Deng announced the break on Monday after a session marked by serious allegations of bribery and extortion involving the 2025 Nasir incident.

The adjournment concludes the 34th session of the high-profile case, in which the government is seeking accountability for the deaths of over 250 soldiers and the loss of $58 million in military assets.  Proceedings are set to resume in the new year with the appearance of the prosecution’s sixth witness.

In Monday’s session, the fifth prosecution witness regarding the Nasir incident told the court in Juba that suspended FVP Riek Machar offered him the rank of colonel to join the SPLA-IO and return to Nasir.

The witness claimed that after he refused the offer, his captors demanded $20,000 for his release.

The court, which is trying Machar and seven others over the Nasir incident, continued its 34th session with testimony from Sgt. Maj. Ater Bol Piol, who is also a survivor of the event.

Piol testified that he was captured on March 12 in the bushes of Ulang County, Upper Nile State, after fleeing the fighting in Nasir. He stated he was apprehended by SPLA-IO officers and taken to SPLA-IO Maj. Gen. Thiec.

During interrogation regarding his state, county, and payam, Piol told the general he was from Akon Payam, Gogrial West, Warrap State.

“Did your uncle Kiir hear that Wech-Yar-Adiu has been captured?” Gen. Thiec reportedly asked.

Piol said he replied, “I don’t have his number; I only see Kiir on TV,” adding that he communicated only with the Chief of Defence Forces because he had no political party affiliations.

According to Piol, Gen. Thiec assured him they had no intention of killing him, explaining that the conflict was a political matter between Machar and President Salva Kiir. The witness claimed Thiec told him that Machar had personally instructed the officers not to kill him.

Piol, who served as an armored commander in the SSPDF Nasir garrison, said Gen. Thiec connected him to Machar by phone on March 15.

“Machar told me, ‘Go back to Nasir and remove the tanks in Wech-Yar-Adiu, and I will promote you to colonel and put you in charge of military artillery,’” Piol testified. “I refused.”

After rejecting the offer, Piol said the SPLA-IO commanders holding him hostage allegedly demanded $20,000 for his release. He informed his family and called his wife and brother in Juba to negotiate with the general. His wife, who is Nuer, realized during the conversation that the general was a well-known figure with a brother living in Juba.

Following negotiations, the commander reportedly accepted 11.5 million South Sudanese pounds after Piol’s brother threatened that the general’s relative in Juba would be killed if anything happened to Piol.

Piol was later airlifted from Ulang on a commercial airplane hired by the SSPDF, along with eight other survivors who also allegedly paid ransoms. He arrived in Juba on March 19, where he was questioned by the SSPDF investigative committee.

The court adjourned the session until January 5, 2026, when the prosecution’s sixth witness is expected to appear.

Machar and his co-accused face charges related to the March 2025 Nasir incident, including murder, conspiracy, terrorism, financing terrorism, treason, destruction of public property and military assets, and crimes against humanity.

The government alleges that SPLA-IO forces, allied with the White Army, caused the deaths of a general and 257 soldiers, and led to the loss of weapons valued at $58 million.