Author: The South Sudan Herald

Record-Breaking Night in Moçâmedes South Sudan restored their title hopes in electrifying style on Thursday, overwhelming Libya 115-52 in Moçâmedes, Angola. The 63-point gap is the widest seen at the 2025 AfroBasket, reaffirming the Bright Stars’ growing stature after Tuesday’s surprise defeat to Guinea (Eye Radio). Relentless Press Sets Early Tone Coach Royal Ivey ordered a full-court press from the opening tip, and Libya unraveled. Within three minutes South Sudan led 9-2; by the first timeout it was 18-2. The Bright Stars never relinquished control, finishing the quarter ahead 31-12 and silencing Libyan supporters (FIBA). Captain Omot Sparks Balanced Offense…

Abyei Borderland at the Heart of Two Nations From Khartoum to Juba, few names stir debate like Abyei. The fertile, oil-rich enclave straddles the 1956 north-south frontier and still awaits the promised referendum agreed in 2005. For many locals, the stand-off is a daily reality, not a diplomatic footnote. Successive peace talks have postponed a final ruling, leaving Ngok Dinka pastoralists and Misseriya nomads in administrative limbo. Each side believes history and grazing rights favor its claim, heightening the value of every new identity card issued. Citizenship Offer Shifts the Chessboard Port Sudan authorities now offer Sudanese passports to thousands…

Historic high-level contact When Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel landed in Juba, observers quickly labelled the stopover the most senior bilateral engagement yet between both states, a symbolic milestone for South Sudan’s decade-old diplomacy seeking diversified partners. Haskel held back-to-back meetings with Foreign Affairs Minister Ramadan Mohamed Goc and President Salva Kiir, discussing shared interests and reaffirming Israel’s 2011 pledge to assist the world’s youngest nation, according to the South Sudanese presidency. Economic stakes in oil, water, agritech Officials quietly note that Juba’s oil revenue has fallen amid volatile global prices; Israeli firms specialising in enhanced recovery, drip irrigation…

Parliament Voices Concern Over Domestic Displacement In a letter circulated in Bor, MP Wany Bum Makhor urged President Salva Kiir to centre scarce resources on nearly two million internally displaced citizens before opening the borders to Palestinians fleeing the Gaza war. Makhor praised Juba’s humanitarian tradition, noting South Sudan’s vote in March supporting a ceasefire in Gaza, yet urged a “realistic evaluation of bandwidth” before offering territory and services to new arrivals. Financial and Security Realities on the Ground UN OCHA estimates that 9.4 million South Sudanese will need assistance this year, while oil revenues have dipped amid global price…

State Commitment Strengthens Relief Pathways In Juba, Governor Riek Gai Kok vowed to “make our position clear: food must reach the people who need it most.” His remarks set a cooperative tone, framing the state as an active facilitator rather than a gatekeeper of aid. UNOCHA’s Logistical Edge David Carden praised Jonglei’s stance, noting that “open dialogue is critical in overcoming barriers.” UNOCHA crews plan to widen riverine routes and pre-position stocks before roads become impassable, shaving days off delivery timetables. Reaching the Cut-Off Communities Persistent floodwaters have marooned villages deep in the Sudd wetlands. Aid groups will pair boats…

UN Security Council Draws Red Line on Parallel Rule Meeting in New York, ambassadors unanimously dismissed the RSF proclamation of an interim authority in the areas it controls. The Council’s press note said the move threatens Sudan’s sovereignty and risks splintering a nation already weakened by fourteen months of brutal urban and rural combat. Potential Repercussions for Sudanese Civilians Diplomats fear the creation of rival administrations could deepen violence against civilians, who already face famine conditions in Darfur and Kordofan. Aid agencies report displacement has topped nine million people, the highest worldwide this year, edging the country toward an unprecedented…

International Youth Day Spark in Juba International Youth Day 2025 finds South Sudan’s streets buzzing with workshops, hackathons and art shows. The energy is palpable, and officials see in it a window to convert demographic weight into economic muscle. Seventy-two percent of citizens are aged 18–35, yet more than half remain jobless, a mismatch that experts warn can either spur innovation or fuel unrest depending on policy choices. UNDP Catalyzes Skills and Enterprise UNDP’s vocational drive has upskilled over 30,000 young people in 22 trades, from solar installation to tailoring. Almost 24,000 report steady income, shifting the narrative from aid…

Fresh Bout of Intercommunal Violence Nine people were killed and three wounded after rival cattle keepers from Rumbek Central and Cueibet clashed early Tuesday in Lakes State, local officials confirmed, underscoring a persistent pattern of pastoral violence across South Sudan. Police Commissioner Major General Enock Machar Majok said the gunfight erupted following a predawn cattle raid. Security units of police and army rushed in to quell the confrontation and, by midday, had “restored calm”, he told reporters in Rumbek. Casualty Figures and Medical Response Rumbek State Hospital surgeon Dr. Terran Madit Terran said three gunshot patients arrived in stable condition…

Mounting Concerns Over R-ARCSS Progress A senior analyst at International Crisis Group, Daniel Akech Thiong, says only about ten percent of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan has been carried out, five years after its signing. The political atmosphere has tightened as deadlines slip; parliament remains partially reconstituted, the unified army is stalled, and election preparation budgets face repeated delays, raising fears of renewed violence among citizens and observers alike. Unilateral Decisions Fuel Political Strain President Salva Kiir’s recent decrees dismissing several Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition legislators have deepened mistrust inside the coalition government,…

South Sudan-UAE financial cooperation strengthens In Abu Dhabi, the Bank of South Sudan and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates sealed a Memorandum of Understanding, framing collaboration in secure currency printing, national payment cards and professional training. The signing, witnessed by UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan and Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel, signals a growing economic partnership that both capitals describe as strategic and mutually reinforcing. Secure currency printing via Omlat Through Omlat, a UAE Central Bank subsidiary, Juba intends to modernise banknote production using state-of-the-art security features that deter counterfeiting and align the…