Author: The South Sudan Herald

Flood Emergency in Greater Pibor Relentless rains have transformed the lowlands of Greater Pibor Administrative Area into a vast lagoon. Local officials report thousands of households uprooted as waters swallowed homes, grazing fields and clinics. Area Chief Administrator Gola Boyoi Gola briefed President Salva Kiir on the scale of damage during a meeting in Juba, stressing that food stocks are exhausted and malaria cases rising. Government’s Relief Blueprint The presidential press unit later announced Kiir’s directive to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs: mobilise emergency rations, tents and medicine without delay, coordinating line ministries and UN partners to reach marooned villages…

A Symbolic Figure in Nation Building Few South Sudanese leaders carry as much historical baggage as Dr. Riek Machar. From the liberation struggle to the 2018 revitalized peace accord, his name is stitched into almost every milestone of the young republic. Supporters call him a founding father; detractors see a polarizing tactician. Both camps, however, acknowledge his role in steering negotiations that ultimately delivered independence in 2011 and the most recent power-sharing deal. The Treason Indictment Under Scrutiny Prosecutors accuse the First Vice-President of conspiring against the state, yet rights groups note gaps in due process, limited counsel access, and…

Surge in Street Crime Prompts Swift Response A spike in machete-wielding assaults has unsettled Juba residents in recent weeks. Police statistics point to rising night-time robberies, prompting authorities to launch an intensified anti-gang deployment across the capital. Details of the Two-Day Operation Maj. Gen. James Monday Enoka reports that 32 suspects, including nine minors, were seized on Monday and Tuesday. Officers recovered machetes, knives, cutters and wooden sticks. The detainees face allegations of robbery, theft, assault, murder and drug abuse, according to the police spokesperson. Community Collaboration and Official Praise Enoka credits “strong collaboration between our security forces and the…

Fangak Flood Crisis Deepens Weeks of heavy rain have turned Fangak County, Jonglei State, into a patchwork of isolated islands. Swollen rivers swallowed farmland and huts, cutting canoe channels through what were once roads. Local officials warn that food stocks and clean water are evaporating fast. Caritas South Sudan Rapid Response Answering the Commissioner’s appeal, Caritas South Sudan partnered with the Catholic Diocese of Malakal to mount a relief convoy on 11 August. After a rapid assessment in Pum, aid workers shortlisted 400 of the hardest-hit households for immediate assistance. Each family received a 50-kilogram bag of sorghum, lentils, cooking…

Funding Stalemate Shadows Preparations The National Election Commission of South Sudan confirms that no budget has reached its accounts, despite a June directive from President Salva Kiir instructing the Ministry of Finance to release the money (Eye Radio interview). Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok told Eye Radio that pre-election tasks now risk delay, barely two and a half years before voters are due at the polls. Civic Education and Offices Await Cash Akok said funds are crucial for voter education campaigns and for completing commission offices in every state. At present, six state offices operate; the remaining jurisdictions must be covered…

Governor’s Order Sparks Bentiu Alert An attempted arrest of 2nd Lieutenant Leek Paul Dor Lampuar inside the former Protection of Civilians site sent shockwaves through Bentiu on Wednesday, opposition officials report. Security personnel allegedly acting on Governor Riek Bim’s directive approached the officer without stating charges, according to SPLA-IO media representative Major Kerbino Yai Pazale. Division Commander Calms the Confrontation Witnesses recall a tense exchange as guns were readied but not fired; Division 4 commander General Matthew Puljang Top ordered the security team to pull back, defusing the situation within minutes. By dusk, normalcy returned to the camp and surrounding…

Patricide shakes Gogrial East community Residents of Gogrial East awoke to grim news on Tuesday after police confirmed a son fatally struck his father with a stick, causing head and neck injuries. The case, authorities say, has rattled a county already grappling with recurrent domestic disputes. Police launch urgent manhunt for suspect Deputy Investigation Director Thiik Agoth identified the suspect as Mabuoc Maror Mangok, who fled immediately after the assault. “We urge relatives to assist,” he stated, adding that the motive remains unclear while detectives analyse several possibilities, from inheritance tensions to personal grievances. Family feuds growing across Warrap State…

Government Backs Media Capacity in Warrap State South Sudan’s national information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, has promised fresh support for reporters across Warrap State after meeting Governor Bol Wek Agoth in Juba on Wednesday. According to a communiqué posted by the ministry, the plan revolves around structured training and wider access to tools that can lift local journalism to recognised professional standards. Training Focused on Transparent 2026 Elections Makuei said the workshops will prime journalists for the December 2026 polls, stressing that accurate, timely and balanced reporting is indispensable if citizens are to judge the fairness of the first nationwide…

Sudan War Redefines Modern Conflict Since April 2023, Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces have fought from city blocks to desert fringes for control of the state, shattering Khartoum’s ministries and scattering authority. The battlefield tests twenty-first-century tactics: cheap drones, livestreamed mobilisation and foreign logistics often decide momentum, signaling a new paradigm for African security theatres. Middle Powers Reshape Horn Dynamics Washington once brokered peace from Eritrea’s birth to South Sudan’s secession, yet today Gulf monarchies, Turkey and other aspirants bankroll opposing Sudanese factions. Riyadh and Cairo view General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s army as a shield against Islamist revival,…

River Ambush Leaves Dozens Missing A routine trading voyage turned deadly on Sunday as gunmen opened fire on a wooden passenger boat traveling from Bor to Panyijiar, on the Nile stretch bordering Jonglei and Lakes states. Local administrator Gabriel Majok Bol confirmed one body recovered and 51 passengers unaccounted for, describing the incident as the second strike on the same route within a fortnight. Eyewitness Accounts Raise Alarm Majok, who received the passenger manifest in Bor, said fifty-three people—forty-six men, two women and three girls—were aboard, adding, “We have had no information since yesterday.” He reported a single survivor suffering…