According to reports from mid-September 2025, Captain Luka Gathok Nyuon, a close bodyguard of South Sudan's suspended First Vice President Riek Machar, died in military detention in Juba.
Nyuon was arrested in March 2025, shortly after Machar was placed under house arrest. A family member reported to Radio Tamazuj that they were informed by the military that Nyuon had been sick in detention and had been unable to access medication.
The family has not been allowed to see or retrieve Nyuon's body, which is reportedly at a military hospital mortuary. They are calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his death, raising concerns that he may have been tortured.
The death of Captain Nyuon comes amidst heightened political and security tensions in South Sudan. Riek Machar himself was recently charged with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity and was stripped of his position as first vice president.