The ClarityDeskSeptember 15, 2026
A Facebook post (archived) is making rounds claiming that Dr Riek Machar’s and co accused lawyers, Geri Raimondo Legge and Kur Lual Kur, were arrested by National Security and have gone missing in Juba, but the claim is false.
The post was first shared by The Upper Nile Observer on the 8th September 2026 garnering over 15,000 reactions, 167 comments, and 50 shares. Some pages that shared the same page are Ayod Today (archived), South Sudan Eagle Media (archived), and The Public (archived).
Debunking the Claim:
A Google keyword search of the keywords: “Dr Riek Machar’s lawyers, Dr Geri Raimondo Legge and Kur Lual Kur arrested by National Security and have gone missing in Juba,” showed otherwise (archived) with two clearly explained articles.
On the 7th of September 2026, Radio Tamazuj published an article with the title ‘Machar defence seeks protection amid alleged threats’ in which the lead defense lawyer, Dr Geri Raimondo, said the lives of the lawyers and the eight co-accused were in danger, and the court should consider their safety.
On 8 September 2026, Kur Lual Kur, a member of Machar’s defence team, told Radio Tamazuj, “We have not gone missing. The claim that the lead defence lawyer, Geri Raimondo Legge and Kur Lual, was missing is false.”
“What is being circulated on social media that we are missing is not true, so we would like to refute that,” Kur said. “Yes, there are threats, but we will present it before the court on Friday. During Friday’s session we will clarify and explain the challenges and risks facing us,” the lawyer told Radio Tamazuj.
Riek Machar trial adjourned to September 23 over security concerns
Court session number 115 which was conducted on Friday, 11th of September 2026, was adjourned until 23rd September 2026 due to security concerns. This was a response to a claim presented by the defense lawyers of the former First Vice President with the co-accused to the court headed by the presiding judge, James Alala
Our Verdict:
The ClarityDesk has found the claim that defense lawyers of former first vice president Riek Machar and co accused have not gone missing in Juba to be false.
Defense lawyer, Kur Lual refuted the claim in a Radio Tamazuj interview that what was being circulated on social media that they were missing was not true. He said it is their security and that of their clients being threatened stating the court was finding better ways of protecting them.
This article is published by The ClarityDesk, with the support of the Election Civic Tech Fund of AfricTivistes, within the AHEAD Africa and Digitalise Youth projects, led by the Digital Democracy Initiative.
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About The ClarityDesk
The ClarityDesk is a media integrity project based in South Sudan dedicated to promoting truth, transparency, and accountability. Working at the intersection of fact-checking, solutions and data journalism, we verify claims, debunk misinformation, and equip the public with tools to critically evaluate information. Our work is guided by accuracy, independence, and the public interest.
