Author: The South Sudan Herald

Malakal PoC: A Decade of Shelter The Malakal Protection of Civilians site opened in 2014 at the height of South Sudan’s civil conflict. What began as a temporary haven quickly became a semi-permanent settlement for families escaping violence along the Upper Nile corridor. Over time, shelters, markets and basic clinics emerged, encouraged by steady cooperation between United Nations Mission in South Sudan and local authorities. Biometric Data: Why It Matters IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix introduced biometric registration to curb aid duplication and sharpen beneficiary targeting. Fingerprint scanners link every resident to a unique code, replacing paper lists susceptible to inflation…

Historic Inauguration in Addis Ababa ADDIS ABABA – Standing before African and Caribbean dignitaries, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir celebrated the commissioning of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, calling the 6 000-megawatt project a continental landmark of unity and engineering. ‘This dam is a symbol of unity, sacrifice, and determination,’ Kiir told the crowd, asserting that collective vision can move mountains. Draft Agreement for Cross-Border Power He revealed that Juba and Addis Ababa are drafting a bilateral agreement to channel surplus GERD electricity into South Sudan’s grid via high-voltage lines that could stretch over 300 kilometres. Expected Impact on South Sudanese…

Israeli doctors bring mobile cardiology to Juba At Al-Sabah Children’s Hospital in Juba, volunteer cardiologists from the Israeli charity Save a Child’s Heart spent three days examining infants for congenital defects, using portable echocardiography units that drew steady queues of anxious parents. Paediatric registrar Dr. Roni Levy reported that fifteen children require urgent open-heart surgery, operations the organisation has pledged to perform free of charge at Wolfson Medical Center near Tel Aviv later this year. Families line up for lifesaving diagnoses Nyakuron West resident Modi Andrew cradled her four-month-old son, saying the screening spared the family the prohibitive fees charged…

Drug Supplies Depleted Fast Executive Director Justin Bruno reports that stocks meant for half a year vanish in eight weeks, leaving parents to buy overpriced medicines or watch treatment stop. Children with chronic conditions are hit hardest, hospital records show, with some missing critical doses for days. Unpaid Heroes Keep Working Doctors, nurses and cleaners have forgone salaries for more than a year but still sign in daily as volunteers, Bruno says. Many moonlight in private pharmacies at night to pay rent yet return each dawn to crowded wards. Power and Water Gridlock Frequent blackouts force staff to hand-pump oxygen,…

Lakes State Governor Orders Release Three senior SPLM-IO figures left detention in Rumbek after Governor Rin Tueny Mabor signed a release order. Lawmakers Ater Akolde and Kaman Makuenyar Achien joined Youth League head Mandela Machiek outside prison walls, ending five uneasy months. Remaining Detentions Stir Debate Deputy Governor Dr. Isaiah Akhol Mathiang and Fisheries Minister Samuel Gai Magok remain in custody. Officials say investigations continue, yet activists argue prolonged detention without trial undermines the revitalized peace deal. Acting information minister William Koji Kerjok maintains both men are safe and will face court if charges materialize. Families and Civil Society React…

Session Halt Underlines Fragile Legislative Rhythm South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly paused a highly anticipated debate on the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission’s quarterly report, citing the absence of peace-monitoring representatives expected to clarify key points on the 2018 agreement’s implementation. Monitoring Bodies Absent at Critical Juncture The quarterly update, first tabled in April, flagged slow progress on drafting a permanent constitution and launching electoral preparations. Yet key figures from the National Transitional Committee and RJMEC, tasked with overseeing these benchmarks, were not in the chamber to answer questions. Lawmakers Clash Over Procedural Rigor Speaker Dr. Jemma Nunu…

South Sudan’s leadership moment on climate President Salva Kiir left Juba for Addis Ababa to attend the second African Climate Summit, an event drawing more than forty heads of state, according to the Office of the President (Eye Radio). Officials in Juba stress that the trip offers a platform to position South Sudan as a constructive voice in continental climate policy, complementing its push for sustainable oil revenue management. Regional dialogue and bilateral talks Presidential spokesperson Lily Martin said Kiir will confer with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and several regional leaders on water management, cross-border trade and renewable energy…

A Clear Stretch in a Tough Terrain Truck drivers crossing South Sudan seldom expect a smooth ride. Yet along the Maper-Yirol-Rumbek axis in Lakes State they find what many now call the country’s only stress-free corridor: no illicit fees, no random stops, only routine safety checks. Hauliers attribute the difference to Governor Rin Tueny Mabor, whose administration openly enforces President Salva Kiir’s 2021 order abolishing illegal checkpoints. Drivers say patrols in Lakes State focus on security rather than revenue extraction. Toll after Toll on Other Routes The contrast emerges starkly once lorries leave Lakes. On the Juba–Bahr el Ghazal road,…

Honey Economy in Lafon County In Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria, villagers once relied on hunting or charcoal for cash. A modest apiary scheme launched in 2022 began shifting that narrative. The Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism joined African Parks to test whether bees could finance people and protect nature simultaneously. Training and First Harvest Results Thirty trainees received hives, suits and basic business coaching in 2024. Their debut harvest reached 750 kilograms, proving commercial potential without felling a single tree. “The moment we weighed that first batch, attitudes changed,” recalls a project supervisor in Badingilo. Badingilo Honey Hits Juba…

Assembly Fast-Tracks Four Accords The Transitional National Legislative Assembly endorsed four bilateral memoranda covering visa exemptions, aviation links, investment promotion and double-taxation relief during an extraordinary sitting last week. Leaders framing the vote said the pacts with the United Arab Emirates could unlock capital, tourists and badly needed non-oil revenue. Veteran MP Voices Alarm SPLM parliamentarian Atem Garang de Kuek dissented, warning that the agreements, some drafted a decade ago, no longer match South Sudan’s fragile security and economic realities. “They are against our interest as a nation,” he told colleagues, describing the documents as “elite illusions” lacking tangible dividends…