Author: The South Sudan Herald

Dawn Offensive in Mundri Rebel fighters aligned with Dr. Riek Machar’s SPLA-IO and Gen. Thomas Cirilo’s NAS say they stormed the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces outpost at Kadi’ba, Western Equatoria, at around 04:00 on 24 September, claiming a swift tactical victory. A joint communiqué asserts that the attackers overwhelmed government trenches in minutes, seizing one armored personnel carrier, several heavy machine guns, more than a dozen AK-47 rifles and boxes of ammunition, while loyalist troops retreated. Motives Behind the Strike SPLA-IO spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel and NAS counterpart Lt. Col. Kenyi Mogga Lomeling describe the raid as retaliation…

Life Inside Juba’s Mahad IDP Camp At the heart of Juba, Mahad School has shifted from classroom to refuge for 8,800 internally displaced people. Twelve years after South Sudan’s conflict erupted, the site now mirrors the nation’s unresolved humanitarian needs. Residents recall regular food rations, clean water drums and mobile clinics before 2022. Their sudden suspension has turned daily life into a precarious calculation of meals, medicine and safety. Food Insecurity and Health Concerns Camp director Peter Kaka lists food shortages, unsafe water and inadequate sanitation as the gravest threats. Without a functioning clinic, treatable illnesses advance unchecked, compounding the…

Surging prices spark alarm Sharp rises in market prices have prompted Central Equatoria State Governor Lt. Gen. Rabi Mujung Emmanuel to move against unauthorised tax collectors operating across Juba. His order follows growing complaints that hidden levies were squeezing traders and consumers alike. Illegal levies choke Juba markets Investigations led by Local Government Minister Leon Abe Brown uncovered what he called “self-deployed groups extorting traders in broad daylight.” Officials say the illegal fees inflated commodity costs while diverting revenue away from recognised state channels. Security committee uncovers network During Tuesday’s State Security Committee meeting, members reviewed evidence showing multiple checkpoints…

Minister Demands Accountability Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s acting information minister, Dominic Kang Deng, urged Jonglei’s leadership to apprehend the youth who ambushed Bahr el Ghazal traders in Bor on 12 September, taking 37 million SSP and 7,000 dollars. Details of Bor Assault Nine merchants suffered machete and panga wounds during the attack, which also left behind a cache of nine machetes used as evidence by police investigators. Rights of Free Movement Kang reminded both states that South Sudan’s constitution guarantees freedom of movement and residence, insisting that traders must feel secure anywhere within national borders. Inter-State Cooperation Officials from Northern…

Digital Literacy Push in Western Equatoria Fifty journalists, youth activists and local chiefs spent Tuesday in an intensive workshop in Western Equatoria’s administrative centre. The programme, led by Digital Rights Frontlines with Journalists for Human Rights, focused on spotting and challenging misleading online content. Why Harmful Content Matters Organisers warned that unchecked rumours and hate speech can fuel violence and erode the fragile social fabric of the state. Isaac Fora, director-general at the Information Ministry, told attendees the training ‘meets a real community need’ and protects peace efforts. Voices from the Workshop Participants welcomed the skills but urged longer courses…

Training Launch in Torit Seventy-five officers, traditional chiefs and civic actors are spending two intensive days in Torit mastering South Sudan’s 2022 Permanent Constitution-Making Process Act. The workshop, led by Support Peace Initiative Development Organisation with UNDP funding, opened on Tuesday inside the state secretariat’s hall. Grassroots Focus Takes Shape SPIDO programme officer Morish John Peter calls the exercise part of a five-year drive to spread constitutional literacy across Greater Equatoria. He notes the initiative revisits communities reached last year while adding new audiences left out in the first round. Women’s and Youth Charter Integrated Unlike 2023, the curriculum now…

Heightened Security Around Machar Trial Armoured vehicles ring Juba’s High Court as suspended First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar and senior opposition figures face a politically charged trial drawing regional and global attention. Public rallies outside the courthouse blend chants, drums and banners, while police cordons attempt to balance free expression with courtroom order. CEPO Warns Against Intimidation in Court In a statement, Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation called on authorities to guarantee safety for judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and witnesses on all sides. “No judge, no lawyer, no witness should be threatened,” CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani said, urging rapid…

Rising Tensions in Central Equatoria Residents of Morobo County woke up to gunshots Monday, as forces loyal to Juba and the main opposition exchanged fire near the Ugandan border. Details of the Morobo Clash At 8:30 a.m., South Sudan People’s Defense Forces allegedly stormed an SPLA-IO base of Brigade 4, Division 2B. Opposition spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said his fighters pushed the attackers back, leaving fifteen government troops dead and seizing rifles, PKMs and an RPG. He added that several wounded soldiers were abandoned as the SSPDF retreated in disarray. Political Currents around Machar Trial Gabriel linked the skirmish…

Raid leaves five youths dead in Verthet Five villagers were shot dead and one wounded when armed youth stormed Muur village, Verthet County, at around 11 a.m. Saturday, according to GPAA information minister Jacob Werchum Jouk. The raiders drove off roughly 2,500 cattle. Local herders recovered most animals, but about 400 remain missing. Werchum said pursuit teams later counted 36 dead among the assailants, underlining the clash’s intensity. GPAA plea for swift government action Citing rising tension ahead of a scheduled peace conference, Werchum appealed to Eastern Equatoria’s authorities to curb youth mobilization and help bring suspects to account. Eastern…

U.S. Embassy Alleges Attack on WFP Convoy United States diplomats in Juba say SSPDF soldiers boarded a World Food Programme barge on 7 September near New Fangak, Jonglei, and removed sacks of life-saving food bound for flood-marooned communities. The embassy condemns the raid as part of “a worsening pattern of rent-seeking” that endangers civilians already facing record hunger. Aid Looting Trend Raises Alarm Although the WFP managed to replace the stolen commodities by 20 September, aid officials warn that every interruption swells logistical costs and shrinks already thin pipelines. Civil society monitors have tallied repeated incidents in Upper Nile and…