JUBA – Former Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Paul Nang Majok was on Monday accused of pursuing counterinsurgency operations that undermined the implementation of South Sudan’s 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
The allegations were made by the fourth accused, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, during his statement before the Special Court trying suspended First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and his co-accused over the March 2025 Nasir violence.
Lam told the three-judge bench that Gen. Nang adopted a military approach instead of implementing the security arrangements outlined in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
He argued that such military operations and the use of proxy forces were inconsistent with the objectives of the 2018 peace agreement, which calls for the unification of rival forces and the resolution of disputes through dialogue rather than armed confrontation.
“All these incidents happened in mid-January 2025, even before the incident of Nasir, in which I marked Gen. Paul Nang as a troubleshooter who worked to undermine the peace agreement through proxies and counterinsurgency operations across the country,” he said.
Lam alleged that the former army chief relied on proxy forces and counterinsurgency operations against the SPLA-IO in several parts of the country, actions he said eroded trust among the peace parties and violated the spirit of the peace agreement.
“In the morning, I submitted my letter to the office of Gen. Paul Nang, and he acknowledged the receipt of my letter. Before I received a reply to my letter, the chief set up a meeting with specialised unit commanders. In that meeting, Gen. Paul Nang declared war against the SPLA-IO,” Lam said.
“He called the SSPDF assistant chief of operations, Lt. Gen. Thoi Chany Reet, and ordered him to send additional forces of the SSPDF to Boo Bridge. He instructed him again to deal with anyone he found on the Yambio-Wau main road.”
According to Lam, the military campaigns included operations in Nagero County, Western Equatoria State, where he claimed government forces confronted SPLA-IO positions despite ongoing efforts to implement the peace accord.
He further alleged that after SSPDF forces were repelled during fighting in the area, Gen. Nang sought the intervention of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) to persuade the SPLA-IO to reopen the Yambio–Wau road.
“The following day, the SSPDF attacked the SPLA-IO’s new position, resulting in one week of fighting along the Yambio-Wau main road. The two forces each sustained heavy losses in manpower and military equipment,” he said.
Lam said UNMISS and CTSAMVM later requested the SPLA-IO to grant safe passage, allowing SSPDF troops to withdraw and return to Boo Bridge and Tombura County.
The court adjourned the session until July 29th, as the fourth accused is expected to continue his defence statements.
Machar and his co-accused face charges linked to the March 2025 violence in Nasir County, Upper Nile State.
They have denied the charges, maintaining their innocence and arguing that the prosecution’s case lacks credible evidence.
