Author: The South Sudan Herald

Eighty Years Since Victory, Memories Resonate Beijing prepares a commemorative parade this September, marking eight decades since the end of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the global fight against fascism. Official rhetoric links the historic victory to an enduring pledge of peace, a message keenly followed across Africa where youthful populations confront their own security dilemmas. China’s Battlefield Toll in Perspective From the 1931 Mukden incident to Japan’s surrender in 1945, Chinese forces endured fourteen arduous years, absorbing over thirty-five million military and civilian casualties. Historians note that more than seventy percent of Japan’s wartime…

A Hospital Under Scrutiny Juba Teaching Hospital, South Sudan’s largest referral facility, has lately drawn intense public scrutiny as social media accusations swirl around maternal deaths and surgical mishaps. Yet on the ground, health workers describe a more nuanced reality, shaped by chronic power outages, scarce consumables and an under-funded workforce. Maternal Care Challenges Official data suggest that up to 789 mothers die for every 100,000 live births in South Sudan, a rate health authorities call alarming (Ministry of Health 2023). Obstetric teams at Juba Teaching Hospital say blood shortages, erratic power and limited drugs remain the leading killers, not…

Civil Society Raises Red Flag Reports reaching Juba suggest self-styled Prophet Makuach Tut is leading dozens of armed youths northward from Jonglei’s Ayod County toward Malakal. Ter Manyang Gatwech of the Center for Peace and Advocacy warns that an unchecked advance could reignite fragile ceasefires across Upper Nile. Government Banks on Negotiation First Governor James Koang Chuol confirms that state officials and army commanders are in daily contact with counterparts in Ayod. Their immediate strategy is persuasion: dispatching relatives and clerics to convince the preacher to reverse course before any shot is fired. Security Forces Prepare Defensive Plan Yet contingency…

New leadership sets peace tone James Al-Taib, freshly appointed governor of Western Equatoria State, used his maiden statement in Juba to urge armed youth to surrender their weapons. He pledged to listen to grievances “with a clean heart and open hands,” promising inclusive dialogue and development incentives. Roots of armed youth grievances Recent years saw localized militias form amid clashes over land, cattle, and political representation, according to civil society monitors. Analysts say frustration with stalled national reforms and limited economic prospects continues to fuel recruitment of restless young men. Faith-driven rhetoric resonates Invoking faith, Al-Taib reminded combatants that humans…

Sudan Pipeline Halted at Heglig At 2:30 a.m. local time, drones struck Heglig Operations Basecamp, damaging the terminal and forcing staff to flee, Sudanese officials confirmed. Heglig channels nearly all of South Sudan’s 110,000 daily barrels through pipelines that end at Port Sudan, making any disruption immediately regional. Drone Attacks Hit Civilian Infrastructure Khartoum attributes the strike to the Rapid Support Forces, stressing that the base is a civilian facility with no troop presence. Acting undersecretary Dr. Fadul Mahmoud called the action “a serious threat to the stability of oil flows,” adding that staff safety can no longer be guaranteed.…

South Sudan Youth Future Prospects At a storytelling conference in Juba, Undersecretary for Peacebuilding Pia Philip Michael challenged South Sudan’s youth to channel their vigour into constructive pursuits that can secure livelihoods and stability. Addressing participants gathered by Search for Common Ground, Michael stressed that present choices will determine tomorrow’s stature, warning that misdirected energy could leave a generation ‘sitting in the wrong position’ later in life. Nation Building and Community Engagement He urged young citizens to embrace nation-building tasks, from organising football matches in displacement camps to offering psychosocial support, calling such initiatives ‘your responsibilities to the Republic of…

Deadly Night Assault in South Sudan Night-time gunfire shattered the calm of Jebel Boma County, Greater Pibor Administrative Area, at about 11:30 p.m., killing two traders and injuring three others, local authorities report. Information Minister Jacob Werchum Juk says the assailants melted into surrounding bushland before security forces arrived, complicating immediate pursuit. Pattern of Violence in Greater Pibor The attack marks the second assault on Jebel Boma in three weeks, according to Juk. Earlier this month, unidentified gunmen killed one civilian, wounded another and drove off with 95 head of cattle, livestock later recovered by local trackers. Authorities Launch Investigation…

A Saturday of Spirit and Sweat On 30 August 2025, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama led a dawn walk through Juba streets, blending exercise, prayer and community visibility. Vice-President Josephine Lagu, SPLM deputy Mary Apai Ayiga and Central Equatoria Governor General Rabi Mujung Emmanuel paced alongside students, clergy and market women. Voices from the Pulpit and State House “We walk to stay fit, to intercede for families and to thank God for South Sudan,” the Archbishop told participants gathered outside All Saints’ Cathedral. Lagu framed the march as nation-building, saying generous giving “is service” that fortifies moral leadership amid recovery efforts…

Juba conference unites Jonglei and GPAA women Juba’s Boma Hall resounded with determined voices as women from Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area convened for a pioneering conference on peace and leadership. Organised by Peace Canal, the Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund and Peace Partners, the gathering built on recommendations adopted at the Inter-Community General Stakeholders meeting held from 1–3 July 2025 in the capital. High-level attendance signals political commitment Governor Riak Gai Kok led the Jonglei delegation, while Chief Administrator Peter Guzulu Maze headed the GPAA team. Their presence underscored a shared belief that durable stability depends on women’s…

Governor Berapai’s Peace Appeal Standing in his Juba residence on 30 August 2025, Western Equatoria State governor James Altaib Berapai delivered a heartfelt plea to rebels and militias, urging them to lay down weapons and seek solutions through dialogue rather than further bloodshed. His message, broadcast on local radio, stressed readiness to meet combatants “day and night” to understand the anger that drove them to arms and craft, in his words, “an endless solution” for lasting harmony. Understanding the Grievances Western Equatoria has endured targeted killings, highway ambushes and sporadic clashes between government troops and opposition factions, leaving traders fearful…