The high-profile trial of South Sudan’s suspended Vice President Riek Machar is raising fresh concerns about peace and stability in the country.
Machar appeared in court this week in Juba, caged alongside seven co-defendants, facing charges ranging from treason and crimes against humanity to terrorism and conspiracy.
He had not been seen publicly since his house arrest in March, following allegations of involvement in an attack on government troops.
President Salva Kiir suspended Machar earlier this month, a move that threatens to unravel the fragile 2018 peace deal between the two leaders.
Defense lawyers argue that prosecuting Machar undermines the agreement that ended years of civil war and still serves as the foundation of South Sudan’s transitional government.