Machar cites disputes over fishing nets as triggers of Nasir clashes

South Sudan's former first vice president Dr. Riek Machar Teny testified in court on Friday that disputes over fishing nets triggered the 2024 deadly clashes between South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers and local youth in Nasir County, Upper Nile State. Machar's testimony was part of his ongoing trial in Juba, where he faces serious charges, including treason, murder, and crimes against humanity.

Machar outlined several confrontations between 2021 and 2024 that he said left people dead and wounded, destroyed property, and displaced thousands of civilians. One of the deadliest confrontations occurred between February 10 and 12, 2024, following a dispute over stolen fishing nets. According to Machar, SSPDF soldiers attacked young people near a fishing camp close to their barracks, killing two young men and wounding two others.

The clashes forced civilians to flee Nasir town and surrounding villages, while homes and other property were looted and destroyed, with some houses set on fire. A helicopter gunship was flown over Nasir by the government in what Machar described as a show of force. The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) investigated the February 2024 incident and issued report 2024/06, recommending the withdrawal of SSPDF forces from the area.

Machar also described earlier confrontations between February and March 2021, which he said followed the arrest of two youth leaders after a dispute between young people and government forces in Nasir town. The arrests reportedly triggered a standoff between the police, traditional chiefs, and the county commissioner on one side and SSPDF soldiers on the other over who should take custody of the detained youth.

Machar linked another wave of violence in October 2024 to a child custody dispute involving an SSPDF officer identified as Lt. Col. Mark and the child's widowed mother. The two-day clashes on October 16 and 17 reportedly left 13 SSPDF soldiers dead and six wounded. Five civilians, including a woman, three men, and an infant, were also killed, while 14 others were wounded.

The violence displaced more than 20,000 civilians, many of them women and children. The Nasir County Commissioner at the time, James Gatluak, intervened to end the fighting. However, Machar's trial continues, with prosecutors alleging that forces aligned with the SPLM/A-IO and the White Army attacked a government garrison in Nasir, killing 257 soldiers and destroying or seizing military equipment valued at approximately US$58 million.

The court adjourned the proceedings until November 11, 2026, for Machar to continue his defense statement. Machar and seven co-accused face serious charges, including treason, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property, and crimes against humanity. All have denied the charges.

Key points

• Disputes over fishing nets triggered deadly clashes between SSPDF soldiers and local youth in Nasir County.
• The clashes resulted in significant loss of life, destruction of property, and displacement of civilians.
• Machar's trial continues, with prosecutors alleging that forces aligned with the SPLM/A-IO and the White Army attacked a government garrison in Nasir.