Machar’s trial paused as judge criticises ‘disorganised’ expert report

JUBA – The special court trying suspended First Vice President Riek Machar and seven other defendants has thrown out a preliminary report submitted by South African forensic expert Ratlhogo Peter Calvin Rafadi, terming it “disorganised”.

During the Friday morning proceedings, James Alala Deng, the judge presiding over the Special Court, ordered a temporary adjournment after examining the report submitted as part of the prosecution’s case.

The judge expressed frustration that the material lacked clarity and structure and was difficult for the court to evaluate effectively.

The forensic evidence, prepared by Mr Rafadi, was intended to support allegations that Machar and his co-accused were involved in orchestrating the March 2025 attack on the Nasir military garrison — a deadly clash between government forces and armed groups that has become a flashpoint in South Sudan’s fragile peace process.

Prosecutors have charged the defendants with serious offences, including treason, murder, terrorism and crimes against humanity in connection with the violence that left hundreds of government and opposition fighters dead.

However, as the session unfolded, the judge noted that the report’s presentation of digital files — which included messages, images and video extracts — was not sufficiently organised for proper judicial scrutiny, prompting the halt in proceedings. This comes amid broader criticism of the handling of technical evidence in the trial and questions over the expert’s methodology.

The case has seen multiple adjournments in recent months for various reasons, including earlier delays due to technical challenges accessing the accused’s electronic devices and a proposal to send a MacBook laptop to China or India.

The forensic evidence, a critical component in the court proceeding against Machar and his SPLM/A-IO cadres, has come under sharp scrutiny in recent days, with the opposition party continuously questioning the credibility of the process, which it says is being handled outside the national and international legal frameworks.