Author: The South Sudan Herald

Digital Literacy Push in Western Equatoria Fifty journalists, youth activists and local chiefs spent Tuesday in an intensive workshop in Western Equatoria’s administrative centre. The programme, led by Digital Rights Frontlines with Journalists for Human Rights, focused on spotting and challenging misleading online content. Why Harmful Content Matters Organisers warned that unchecked rumours and hate speech can fuel violence and erode the fragile social fabric of the state. Isaac Fora, director-general at the Information Ministry, told attendees the training ‘meets a real community need’ and protects peace efforts. Voices from the Workshop Participants welcomed the skills but urged longer courses…

Training Launch in Torit Seventy-five officers, traditional chiefs and civic actors are spending two intensive days in Torit mastering South Sudan’s 2022 Permanent Constitution-Making Process Act. The workshop, led by Support Peace Initiative Development Organisation with UNDP funding, opened on Tuesday inside the state secretariat’s hall. Grassroots Focus Takes Shape SPIDO programme officer Morish John Peter calls the exercise part of a five-year drive to spread constitutional literacy across Greater Equatoria. He notes the initiative revisits communities reached last year while adding new audiences left out in the first round. Women’s and Youth Charter Integrated Unlike 2023, the curriculum now…

Heightened Security Around Machar Trial Armoured vehicles ring Juba’s High Court as suspended First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar and senior opposition figures face a politically charged trial drawing regional and global attention. Public rallies outside the courthouse blend chants, drums and banners, while police cordons attempt to balance free expression with courtroom order. CEPO Warns Against Intimidation in Court In a statement, Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation called on authorities to guarantee safety for judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and witnesses on all sides. “No judge, no lawyer, no witness should be threatened,” CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani said, urging rapid…

Rising Tensions in Central Equatoria Residents of Morobo County woke up to gunshots Monday, as forces loyal to Juba and the main opposition exchanged fire near the Ugandan border. Details of the Morobo Clash At 8:30 a.m., South Sudan People’s Defense Forces allegedly stormed an SPLA-IO base of Brigade 4, Division 2B. Opposition spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said his fighters pushed the attackers back, leaving fifteen government troops dead and seizing rifles, PKMs and an RPG. He added that several wounded soldiers were abandoned as the SSPDF retreated in disarray. Political Currents around Machar Trial Gabriel linked the skirmish…

Raid leaves five youths dead in Verthet Five villagers were shot dead and one wounded when armed youth stormed Muur village, Verthet County, at around 11 a.m. Saturday, according to GPAA information minister Jacob Werchum Jouk. The raiders drove off roughly 2,500 cattle. Local herders recovered most animals, but about 400 remain missing. Werchum said pursuit teams later counted 36 dead among the assailants, underlining the clash’s intensity. GPAA plea for swift government action Citing rising tension ahead of a scheduled peace conference, Werchum appealed to Eastern Equatoria’s authorities to curb youth mobilization and help bring suspects to account. Eastern…

U.S. Embassy Alleges Attack on WFP Convoy United States diplomats in Juba say SSPDF soldiers boarded a World Food Programme barge on 7 September near New Fangak, Jonglei, and removed sacks of life-saving food bound for flood-marooned communities. The embassy condemns the raid as part of “a worsening pattern of rent-seeking” that endangers civilians already facing record hunger. Aid Looting Trend Raises Alarm Although the WFP managed to replace the stolen commodities by 20 September, aid officials warn that every interruption swells logistical costs and shrinks already thin pipelines. Civil society monitors have tallied repeated incidents in Upper Nile and…

Grassroots Voices Seek High-Level Ear At a small gathering in Juba, Central Equatoria Women’s Union chair Veronica Juan Laku painted a vivid portrait of daily labour, from predawn water runs to late-night market stalls. She urged state officials to connect the Union with First Lady Mary Ayen Mayardit, insisting that direct dialogue would transform whispered grievances into actionable policy. Enterprise Fund Still Awaiting Parliament The Women Enterprise Fund, announced in 2018, remains off the parliamentary agenda, a delay the Union calls economically painful rather than political. Leaders argue that even modest seed capital could multiply household incomes and cushion children…

Seeds of Ambition in Juba The bustle of Malakia market hides a quiet revolution led by 27-year-old Betty John Lemi, who sells roasted peanuts and crunchy egusi known locally as Tesali. Three years ago she began with one cup of seeds; today the profits pay for land in Gumbo, transport, and daily household costs, illustrating micro-enterprise resilience. Crafting Quality, Preserving Taste Betty wakes before sunrise to source fresh nuts from nearby farms, roasts them over charcoal, and sifts the kernels by hand to maintain consistency. For Tesali she follows the traditional recipe without shortcuts, convinced that authenticity, not volume, secures…

Ibba County Faces Humanitarian Emergency More than 500 households fled Maruko village last month after armed men entered the area, reportedly looting property and forcing youths into their ranks, county officials confirm. The displaced trekked 55 miles through dense forest to Nanguruza, settling on open ground without shelter, food or clean water, creating an urgent humanitarian emergency. Violence Sparks Mass Flight Witnesses report that unidentified gunmen arrived at dawn, firing shots and ordering villagers to assemble, prompting families to flee in panic, leaving possessions behind. County commissioner Paul Juma says local forces are too stretched to secure outlying settlements, noting…

Legal Storm Over Bor Assaults A civil case filed this week in Jonglei State High Court puts regional tensions under legal spotlight. Northern Bahr el Ghazal youths accuse state officials of failing to arrest men who allegedly hacked and robbed Bahr el Ghazal traders in Bor’s Panliet suburb. Injured Traders Evacuated to Juba Witnesses say machete-wielding assailants struck at dusk, inflicting deep wounds before disappearing with cash and goods. Six victims were airlifted to Juba Teaching Hospital, where doctors report stable but serious conditions, according to medical staff briefings. Youth Union Demands Swift Justice Union chair George Atem calls the…