Author: The South Sudan Herald

Election countdown heightens spotlight on media rights With South Sudan’s first nationwide ballot since independence slated for December 2026, newsrooms say the contest cannot be credible without unfettered reporting. Journalists argue that voters deserve detailed policy scrutiny rather than rumor, yet they still navigate official gatekeepers and economic headwinds. Editors urge cooperation with Media Authority Catholic Radio Network chief editor Chuol Jany told Eye Radio that regulators should become ‘an institution helping media houses to prosper’ instead of bottlenecks. He believes constructive dialogue with the Media Authority can widen civic space without eroding state stability, an approach echoed by several…

Leadership Hand-Over in Juba In a ceremony at Juba Football House, outgoing South Sudan Football Federation president Gen. Agustino Maduot passed the presidential medallion to successor Amin Francis. The event, attended by club delegates, national players and government sport officials, symbolised continuity after a competitive yet orderly election earlier this month. Maduot’s Four-Year Legacy Maduot highlighted the launch of the South Sudan Premier League, expansion of youth academies, and the first FIFA-sanctioned women’s league as signature achievements despite pandemic-era budget shocks. “We have shown football can unite Wau, Malakal and Yei supporters under one flag,” he told journalists, pledging technical…

Converging Crises in South Sudan South Sudanese officials have sounded an early siren, warning that a perfect storm of mass arrivals from the Sudan conflict and predicted torrential rains could collide in September and October, creating a humanitarian squeeze few contingency plans can absorb. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Albino Akol Atak briefed President Salva Kiir on Wednesday, cautioning that escalating needs risk outpacing government capacity unless urgent outside support arrives. Refugee Surge Tests Fragile Systems UNHCR figures show more than 1.2 million people have entered South Sudan since April 2023, a mix of Sudanese refugees and returnees uprooted by two…

Record-Breaking Scores Inspire Nationwide Celebration Amazing Grace High School has emerged top of the 2024 South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education, posting an 85.2 percent average that electrified classrooms across the country. Darling Wisdom Academy in Juba followed with 85.1 percent, while Star Academy of Jonglei claimed third at 83.7 percent, signaling a competitive academic landscape. Minister Commits to Faster Results Education Minister Dr. Koyuk Abol Koyuk acknowledged weeks of anxiety caused by financial and logistical delays, apologizing ‘to parents, candidates and the entire nation’ and vowing that future releases will arrive on schedule. He praised exam evaluators who ‘walked…

Erratic seasons unsettle rural routines In Lungi Boma, Central Equatoria, residents once timed their planting by instinct, reading clouds and birds. Today, rains drift off-schedule, and calendars built over generations suddenly misfire. For widow Lomani Keji, who cultivates groundnuts, maize, okra and sweet potatoes, a six-week delay left seeds dry in dust and family meals shrinking. Harvest losses strain household survival Yields that once filled baskets now fit a single bowl, Keji reports, comparing the current haul to last year’s bumper output with visible anguish. Selling surplus once paid school fees; today she contemplates gathering firewood, an activity that depletes…

Stalled 2018 Accord Under Scrutiny South Sudan’s revitalised 2018 peace agreement remains hamstrung by slow implementation, disunity among signatories and looming elections. Regional observers warn that unresolved security arrangements and delayed constitutional milestones could reignite violence if left unchecked. Civil Society Voices Urgent Appeal Edmund Yakani, head of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, asked the UN Security Council to back the African Union Peace and Security Council’s recent recommendations. He argues that only an inclusive, top-level political dialogue can unlock the remaining articles of the accord and prepare the ground for credible polls. Yakani insists that releasing political detainees would…

A Milestone for Technical Education Sixty trainees marched across Rumbek this week, receiving certificates in tailoring, catering, computer applications and hairdressing. The ceremony crowned a nine-month course run by the Lakes State Ministry of General Education and Instruction with technical oversight from the Ministry of Labour. Backed by Oxfam and the German BMZ fund, the project was implemented by local NGO DARD, ensuring that women, returnees and people with disabilities formed nearly half the cohort, according to programme coordinator Mary Akot. Government-Partner Synergy State Director General Gabriel Maluac Yak praised the collaboration, noting that public agencies supplied curricula while partners…

Diplomatic Arrival in Tokyo Narita International Airport briefly turned into a corridor of flags as Ambassador Monday Semaya Kumba stepped onto Japanese soil Tuesday morning. He was greeted by senior officials from Japan’s foreign ministry and South Sudan’s envoy, Ambassador Victoria Samuel Aru, underscoring Tokyo-Juba ties. TICAD9 Agenda and Expectations TICAD9 convenes heads of state, ministers and investors to debate health, infrastructure, agritech and digital connectivity across Africa. According to a Foreign Affairs statement from Juba, Minister Monday aims to secure project finance and technology transfers aligned with South Sudan’s Revitalized Peace Agreement. Japan Offers New Financial Pathways Japanese Prime…

Rapid Response to Land Disputes Central Equatoria State Governor Rabi Mujung Emmanuel has unveiled a proposal for a special court dedicated to land grabbing cases, arguing that fast-tracked justice would deter illegal occupation and boost investor confidence. The idea emerged after closed-door talks in Juba with Chief Justice Dr Benjamin Baak Deng, echoing President Salva Kiir’s call for tighter synergy between state executives and the national judiciary. Mujung told reporters, “We need an institution that can handle these matters promptly and fairly so communities feel protected and investors feel safe.” Why Land Conflicts Persist Years of displacement during conflict left…

Torit Remembers 70 Years On Torit Freedom Square filled with hymns and history as citizens marked the septuagenary of the 1955 mutiny, an uprising widely seen as the spark of South Sudan’s liberation struggle. Veterans stood beside youth, linking past sacrifice to today’s quest for durable peace. Cardinal Ameyu’s Call for Transformative Dialogue Archbishop of Juba, Cardinal Stephen Ameyu, asked congregants to pursue peace that is “more than the absence of war” but rooted in justice and charity. He urged leaders to practice honest dialogue that “breaks down divisions and builds bridges of trust” across the young nation. Church Networks…