S. Sudan opposition leader Machar claims immunity in treason trial

South Sudan's opposition leader, Riek Machar, on Friday told the court trying him for crimes against humanity his position as vice-president made him immune from prosecution.

Machar is a long-standing rival of President Salva Kiir but served as his vice-president under a peace deal that ended their civil war in 2018.

He was suspended from his position last month after being charged with treason and accused of ordering an ethnic militia's attack on an army base in March.

"I am the first vice-president. I have immunity," Machar said in his first statement to the court in Juba.

"I will give a statement but I cannot and do not want to be investigated. If the time comes I will explain myself."

Machar was placed under house arrest in March, shortly after the attack in Nasir County by a militia known as the White Army, in which the government says some 250 soldiers died.

The White Army is largely drawn from the same Nuer ethnic group as Machar.

But he denied ordering the attack and his supporters say the trial is part of efforts by PresidentKiir to sideline him and consolidate power.

In a statement given to investigators in April and read out to the court on Friday, Machar said the Nasir attack was part of a wider phenomenon of unrest that "the government needs to address".

"The armed youth organised themselves and no government is governing them and they are all over the country," he said.

"They are in our controlled areas, so if there is anything I will have to intervene and help quell the tensions," he added.

The trial was initially broadcast live online but the court suspended the feed on Wednesday as Machar and seven co-accused began giving their opening statements.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but quickly descended into a five-year civil war between supporters of Kiir and Machar in which some 400,000 died.

A 2018 peace deal ended the fighting and created a unity government but its leaders repeatedly failed to hold elections or unify their armedforces.