Author: The South Sudan Herald

Historic Upgrade for Nimule Municipality Joyous ululations echoed across Nimule as Vice-President Josephine Lagu Yanga cut the ribbon on the town’s new municipality on Wednesday, officially raising the bustling border settlement to the same administrative rank as South Sudan’s major cities (Eye Radio). The legal proclamation, signed earlier this month by Governor Louis Lobong Lojore, converts the formerly county-managed town into a self-administered municipality with its own council, budget and mayoral office, a first for Eastern Equatoria’s southern corridor. Gateway Town Holds Strategic Value Straddling the White Nile and the busy Juba-Kampala highway, Nimule handles most goods entering South Sudan…

Historic Vote Reshapes South Sudan Football Francis Amin returned to football’s top seat in South Sudan after defeating incumbent General Augustine Maduot in a federation election that observers in Juba hailed as calm and credible. Amin captured 26 of the 38 ballots, securing leadership until 2029. Contested Ballot Draws Clear Winner Maduot, who steered the South Sudan Football Federation for four years, obtained 12 votes and quickly conceded. “Defeat will not send me away from the sport,” he told journalists, stressing his readiness to collaborate with the incoming administration. Promises of Grassroots Revival Campaigning under the slogan “Back to the…

Fatal Stabbing Shocks Rum-rol Community Police in Rum-rol, Madhol payam, confirmed the death of Abany Yor Kiir, allegedly stabbed by her co-wife Abuk Deng early Thursday. The two women are married to wounded veteran Majoth Kiir. Chronology of the Night Attack Witnesses say Abany was breastfeeding a one-year-old when the dispute flared. Investigators report that Abuk lured her co-wife outside before striking a single fatal blow to the abdomen. Swift Police and Judicial Action Youth chairperson Garang Lual labelled the act “despicable,” telling reporters the community was left numb. “Our priority is calm while the courts work,” he added. Madhol…

Independence Milestone and Early Hope When South Sudan raised its flag in July 2011, President Salva Kiir embodied liberation optimism. Oil wealth, international goodwill, and a unifying narrative promised rapid institution-building and inclusive growth across the Nile-fed grasslands. Conflict Years and Peace Efforts The 2013 political rift between Kiir and former vice-president Riek Machar quickly spiralled into national conflict, exposing fragile institutions and ethnic tensions that had simmered since wartime alliances. Mediated talks in Addis Ababa produced the 2018 Revitalised Agreement. Cease-fire violations persist, yet the unified command structure and formation of a transitional parliament are notable steps credited to…

International Youth Day Spotlight Markaz Al Salam, a youth-led NGO backed by Norwegian People’s Aid, used International Youth Day to commend South Sudanese youths for confronting modern challenges with courage, creativity and conviction. Theme Aligns with SDG Ambitions This year’s global theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” mirrors the aspirations of young South Sudanese who increasingly see themselves as architects of their country’s stability and prosperity. Grass-Roots Impact Across States From Juba’s tech hubs to cattle camps in Lakes State, youths are mediating local disputes, launching agri-start-ups and mentoring classmates displaced by conflict, testimony to what MAS…

Dawn Battle Stuns Yei River County At first light Saturday, fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition stormed South Sudan People’s Defense Forces positions in Lasu and Libogo, two farming villages southwest of Yei, unleashing the loudest firefight local residents recall since 2016. SPLA-IO spokesperson Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel said the operation began around 5 a.m., a time chosen, he noted, to “minimise civilian movement.” The army has not commented, but traders travelling the Yei–Lasu road confirmed plumes of smoke rising for hours afterward. Casualty Claims and Seized Weaponry Colonel Gabriel reported twelve government soldiers killed and five opposition fighters…

Key Lifeline Under Fire For residents of Western Equatoria, the 400-kilometre Juba-Yambio highway is more than asphalt; it is the spine that feeds markets, clinics and refugee camps across South Sudan. Yet recurring ambushes have turned its forested bends into a gauntlet no traveller forgets. On Monday at about 10 a.m., gunmen showered a UN-marked truck with bullets between Lainyi and Buagyi, wounding the driver in the leg but failing to halt the vehicle, County Commissioner John Henry Ngalamu confirmed by phone (The City Review). Eyewitness Accounts of Fear An eyewitness riding a battered minibus said the attack unfurled in…

Fresh Fighting Rocks Yei River County Gunfire echoed across Lasu and Libogo before dawn as South Sudan People’s Defence Forces exchanged fire with Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In-Opposition units, county commissioner Emmanuel Taban told regional media during a crackling phone call. Authorities Describe Ongoing Engagements “We are still on the frontline,” Taban stated, adding that confrontations were active past 10 a.m. He declined to disclose troop numbers or tactics, citing operational security while confirming government control of Yei town. Civilians Cite Looting Concerns Residents report commercial trucks ambushed on the Yei–Lasu road and shops emptied during the chaos. Taban blamed opposition…

Border Incursions Spark Diplomatic Push Central Equatoria’s Council of Ministers, chaired by Governor Rabi Mujung Emmanuel, has urged Juba and Kampala to open immediate dialogue after Ugandan forces reportedly crossed into Keji Kajo County, raising fears for South Sudan’s sovereignty, officials told reporters Thursday. Acting Information Minister Jacob Aligo Lo-Lado warned that any prolonged foreign military presence could inflame local sentiment, but stressed the government’s preference for “peaceful, swift, non-confrontational diplomacy” to settle the frontier line, echoing previous bilateral communiqués issued in 2022 and 2023. Council Calls for Calm Over Cattle Market Attack The cabinet condemned last week’s armed raid…

Fresh Mandate for Women’s Voice South Sudan Women’s Union passed the torch to Nyalang Dhal Dhal after Abak Yel Madoot moved to the Warrap State health docket. The vote signals continuity for a movement that has pressed for peace, inclusion and economic empowerment since independence. Government Voices Back New Chair Culture Minister Nadia Arop told delegates that leadership demands service, vision and courage. She promised, “We give you not only our trust but also our support,” framing the endorsement as a partnership meant to lift women’s concerns into national decision-making circles. Policy Priorities on the Table Acting parliamentary chair for…