South Sudan’s fragile peace and precarious stability are under renewed threat after the government formally charged its First Vice President, Riek Machar, with treason, murder, and crimes against humanity. South Sudan’s peace remains dangerously fragile more than a decade after independence from Sudan. For ordinary South Sudanese civilians, the stakes are existential. To avert relapse into war, South Sudan’s leaders must urgently set aside political rivalries in favor of inclusive dialogue and credible justice. Machar’s trial ultimately serves as a critical test of whether South Sudan’s leaders will perpetuate cycles of rivalry or pursue genuine national reconciliation.