Machar details Nasir clashes from 2021-2024
Former First Vice President Riek Machar testified about violence triggered by arrests, fishing net theft, and firewood collection.
Former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar detailed deadly clashes in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, between 2021 and 2024. The violence, involving South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers and local youth, resulted in civilian deaths, property destruction, and displacement. Machar testified during the 127th session of his trial, describing confrontations stemming from disputes over arrests, stolen fishing nets, firewood collection, and child custody.
Machar recounted clashes in February-March 2021 following the arrest of two youth leaders, which led to a standoff between police, chiefs, the commissioner, and the SSPDF over custody. He also described fighting from February 10-12, 2024, triggered by the theft of fishing nets, resulting in casualties on both sides. A separate incident involved soldiers collecting firewood, leading to one youth dead and four civilians wounded, with two children drowning.
The violence forced civilians to flee Nasir town and surrounding villages, with homes looted and burned. Machar stated a helicopter gunship flew over Nasir as a show of force. The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) investigated the February 2024 incident and recommended redeploying SSPDF forces and deploying the Necessary Unified Forces.
Why it mattersCivilians in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, faced deaths, injuries, displacement, and property destruction due to clashes between soldiers and youth.