Author: The South Sudan Herald

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…

Special Court Drama Unfolds in Juba A procedural snag briefly disrupted the high-profile Special Court hearing of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and seven co-accused in Juba this week. Two defense lawyers were ejected on Monday after failing to show renewed bar licenses, triggering fresh debate on legal representation standards in South Sudan. License Hurdle Briefly Halts Defense Presiding Judge James Alala Deng acted on a prosecution request, ordering Advocates Deng John Deng and Wernyang Kiir Wernyang out of the courtroom until valid credentials were produced. Their exit left lead counsel Advocate Geri Raimondo Legge scrambling to protect the…

Presidential order reshapes grazing practice A landmark cattle-migration conference in Juba closed with delegates accepting ten binding resolutions aimed at easing long-running tensions between herders and farmers across Central Equatoria. Foremost among them is the enforcement of President Salva Kiir’s directive ordering pastoralists to return to their ancestral states, a move officials say will calm crowded grazing corridors and free farmlands. Governor Mujung calls for swift action Closing the forum on 30 September, Central Equatoria Governor Emmanuel Rabi Mujung urged county commissioners and traditional chiefs to ‘transform commitments into actions’ before the next planting season. He warned that delayed implementation…

A financial leap announced South Sudan’s monetary authorities have unveiled the country’s first Interbank Payment and Settlement System, a digital platform meant to let lenders and customers move cash in seconds rather than days. Officials frame the launch as a landmark in the young nation’s economic modernization. Central Bank sets ambitious tone Governor Dr. Addis Ababa Othow called the project a “historic milestone in South Sudan’s digital payments and transformation journey”, predicting lower transaction costs, greater transparency and a closer link to global markets (Eye Radio). Central Bank technocrats say faster clearing will help businesses manage inventory, allow salary payments…

Roots of Administrative Overlap South Sudan’s tangled local power map dates back to the colonial-era district councils of 1951, later reshaped by waves of peace deals and administrative experiments. Each layer added offices without always trimming the old ones, leaving today’s municipalities and county commissioners sharing similar remits. Hybrid Governance Meets Modern Statutes Formal statutes coexist with deeply rooted customary law, a blend scholars label “hybrid governance”. Citizens often trust chiefs over court clerks, so a commissioner may defer to clan elders even inside an urban boundary that municipal bylaws describe as his colleague’s jurisdiction. Blurred Lines in Land Administration…

Parliament Seeks Clarity on Veterans Support Juba—South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly postponed a highly anticipated session meant to probe veterans’ welfare after Defence and Veterans’ Affairs Minister Gen. Chol Thon Balok failed to attend, officials confirmed. Lawmakers had summoned Balok to present a detailed report on living conditions of ex-combatants and war victims who fought for independence. Defence Minister’s Absence and Speaker’s Response Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba told legislators, “I don’t see the Minister of Defense here; I’m informed he is out of the country,” before moving the agenda item to a future date. The deferment follows a motion…

Economic Team Assembles in Juba President Salva Kiir convened his top economic advisers in Juba on Wednesday, seeking cohesion before the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington. Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, Finance Minister Athian Ding Athian, and Central Bank Governor Dr. Addis Ababa Othow attended, underscoring the weight the administration attaches to the mission. Agenda for Washington Meetings The delegation will showcase reform milestones and seek technical assistance, concessional finance, and arrears clearance to bolster macroeconomic stability. Officials want to convince lenders that South Sudan’s new treasury bill framework and foreign-exchange code can anchor inflation and protect…

Accelerated Learning Program Launch in Lakes State Forty-two teachers from Rumbek East and Yirol West gathered at Bros Hotel this week as South Sudan’s State Minister for General Education, Nelson Makoi Makur, launched a ten-day Accelerated Learning Program aimed at raising classroom standards province-wide. Makur told reporters that every citizen deserves ‘inclusive, quality schooling’ and said the ALP offers a second chance to learners who left primary school without certificates, including girls and people living with disabilities. Government Backs Inclusive Education The minister’s remarks align with Juba’s broader commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4, which calls for equitable access to…

Modern Lifeline in South Sudan In Juba, the China Friendship Hospital has emerged as a rare high-tech sanctuary for patients navigating South Sudan’s fragile health system. Opened in 2011 with Beijing’s backing, the facility offers specialist care that many local clinics cannot match, patients say. Patient Stories of Recovery Nyandeng Malual recalled arriving breathless and leaving revitalised. “The Chinese doctors did more than treat my illness; they gave me back my life,” she told (Radio Tamazuj), crediting the hospital with restoring her ability to farm and support her family. Training Local Health Workers Beyond bedside care, Chinese and South Sudanese…

Screening Drive Uncovers Hidden Burden A four-month screening campaign at King Atoroba Peni Rikito’s royal palace tested 1,746 residents, revealing 396 hepatitis B infections, Azande Kingdom Health Minister Siro Peter David disclosed, Tuesday. Women account for 185 cases, men 161 and children 50, illustrating the virus’s broad demographic sweep (Azande Kingdom Health Department). More than 500 individuals who tested negative received immediate vaccination, yet health workers warned that supplies are nearly depleted, limiting efforts to build herd immunity before the infection curve rises further. Vaccine and Equipment Gaps Loom Minister David admitted that Yambio’s referral hospital lacks antiviral drugs, viral-load…