South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar has been charged with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity over alleged attacks by an ethnic militia on federal forces in March, the justice minister announced Thursday.
President Salva Kiir immediately suspended Machar from his post following the announcement, according to a decree broadcast on state radio. The move deepens the divide between South Sudan’s two main political factions, which fought a civil war from 2013 to 2018 that claimed an estimated 400,000 lives.
Justice Minister Joseph Geng said Machar allegedly commanded or influenced the White Army militia during the attacks in Nasir. He added that Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol was charged alongside Machar. Machar has been under house arrest since March.
International partners have repeatedly called for his release, warning that prolonged detention could reignite civil conflict.
The indictment names 20 other individuals, 13 of whom remain at large. Machar and Kiir had previously served in a unity government as part of the peace deal that ended the civil war, but sporadic violence and political tension have persisted.
Edmund Yakani, head of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, urged that the trial be fair, saying he hoped for “a competent court of law, not a kangaroo court of law.”
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Sudan is facing a record-breaking internal displacement crisis as fighting between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Friday.
At least four soldiers and 10 militia fighters were killed in clashes in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, the military said on Tuesday, in the same region where earlier violence led to the arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar.
South Sudan and Uganda have agreed to establish a 14-member joint investigation committee to probe recent border clashes that left six people dead, a South Sudanese army spokesperson said on Sunday.
Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer ASOS, has died in Pattaya, Thailand, after falling from the 17th floor of a condominium on 9 February, Thai police confirmed.
At least four people have died and 17 others were injured after a liquid gas truck overturned and exploded in Santiago, Chile’s capital, authorities confirmed on Thursday. Police said the driver was among those killed.
Cubans are increasingly turning to solar power to keep businesses operating and basic household appliances running during prolonged electricity cuts, as fuel shortages make diesel generators and other temporary solutions more difficult and costly to maintain.
Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics in Verona on 6 March, citing the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.
Gianni Infantino, president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), announced a new partnership with the Board of Peace on Thursday (19 February), committing to build football pitches and arenas in Gaza as part of broader efforts to rebuild the region.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed on Saturday (21 February) that its forces had captured another settlement in eastern Ukraine.
President Donald Trump said on Friday (20 February) he will sign an executive order imposing a new 10% “global tariff” on imports. The development comes hours after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump's sweeping “reciprocal” import duties in a major setback to his trade agenda.
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UK politicians have renewed calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to be removed from the line of succession following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and revelations over his links to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 21st of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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