Author: The South Sudan Herald

A System Strained by Conflict Decades of war, displacement and economic fragility continue to weigh on South Sudan’s collective psyche. Clinics struggle to keep pace with trauma, anxiety and depression spreading through families. When insecurity forces health workers to flee, psychiatric services vanish overnight, leaving remote towns without medication or counselling until the next funding cycle arrives. Stigma Driving Detention Without doctors nearby, desperate relatives sometimes petition police to lock distressed loved ones behind bars, believing iron doors will guard both patient and neighbourhood. Malakal Central Prison reserves a dim corner for such inmates, confirming that criminal and clinical pathways…

South Sudan conflict roots since 2011 Fourteen years after independence, South Sudan still struggles with unresolved power rivalries between President Salva Kiir and suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar. Their Dinka-Nuer split, first weaponised during the 2013-2020 civil war, resurfaced fiercely throughout 2025 (UNMISS 2025). Security provisions within the 2018 Revitalised Agreement remain partially implemented; unified command structures are incomplete, and promised disarmament stalls in many barracks. Analysts note that this institutional vacuum enables local militias to revive ethnic narratives and contest scarce resources (News18). Escalating violence and displacement figures 2025 UNMISS recorded 1,518 civilian victims between April and June 2025,…

Safe Passage to Juba Turns Dark In 2021, a 10-year-old girl left Twic County for Juba with cousin Julia Nyayur Kuanyin, expecting school and safety, in line with the Dinka custom of young relatives accompanying married women, local media reported. The pair settled in Miya Saba, occupying a house owned by 45-year-old relative Cyer Angok Cyerdit, who offered to pay the child’s school fees, an arrangement accepted by her father, according to Julia. Allegations of Repeated Assault Julia alleges that months later, while she was away, Cyer summoned the 11-year-old, sent her on an errand, then raped her, warning the…

New Leadership Takes Charge in Juba A brisk ceremony in the capital on 20 October introduced Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani and three deputies to lead the Juba City Council. Deputy Governor Paulino Lukudu Obede supervised the oath, signaling a fresh chapter for Central Equatoria’s urban administration (Eye Radio). Deputy Governor’s Stern Message Addressing the audience, Lukudu dismissed the notion that municipal office should become a ‘retirement package’ for veterans. He insisted that only leaders willing to apply energy, ideas, and nightly vigilance can meet the capital’s pressing needs. Infrastructure Challenges Shape Mandate He compared Juba to cities such as London…

UNMISS withdrawal hits Torit community The United Nations Mission in South Sudan will shut its field office in Torit after December, citing a severe shortfall in global peacekeeping funds. The move comes as the young nation edges toward its inaugural national polls. Acting Deputy Special Representative Anita Kiki Gbeho relayed the decision to Eastern Equatoria Governor Louis Lobong Lojore during a high-level consultative visit on Tuesday. Global Budget Squeeze Ms. Gbeho said peacekeeping budgets have been slashed roughly by half worldwide, making it impossible for UNMISS to maintain all twelve field locations. Torit, once a logistical hub for patrols and…

Dutch–Jonglei Alliance on Flood Resilience A high-level Dutch delegation met Jonglei Governor Dr Riek Gai Kok in Bor on 20 October to review joint flood-resilience programmes and explore fresh support for vulnerable communities. Formal MoU in Sight Led by Karem Busek of VNG International, the team praised progress made since earlier interventions and proposed a formal Memorandum of Understanding to scale up technical assistance and financing for early warning systems. Consistent Support Since Liberation Era Governor Kok welcomed the initiative, noting that Dutch backing has been consistent ‘from the liberation era up to today’ and confirming state readiness to align…

Record Nile Floods Displace Thousands Relentless rains and swollen branches of the White Nile are inundating vast tracts of South Sudanese land. OCHA estimates 927,182 people across 26 counties have been touched by water since July, with Jonglei and Unity States alone carrying more than nine-tenths of the burden (OCHA, Oct. 2023). Education and Health Services at Risk Schoolyards are turning into shallow lakes. UNICEF counts at least 61 flooded schools, keeping over 22,000 pupils and 700 teachers from classrooms across five states. Damaged clinics report medicine shortages, while impassable roads delay vaccination teams amid periodic cholera alerts (UNICEF, 2023).…

Youth-Led Wave Redefines Gender Norms Songs, slogans and street debates now fill Rumbek’s dusty lanes as teenagers spotlight child marriage’s cost. The Rumbek Youth and Sport Association launched #TitKoRot, meaning “Let us protect ourselves”, to place girls’ rights at the centre of public conversation (RYSA, 2025). Nonviolent Civic Action Gains Momentum Four rotating forums in Rumbek Centre, East and Wulu convene 800 youths. Boys and girls dissect dowry pressures, poverty drivers and personal choice, guided by elders and officials committed to dialogue over confrontation. Organisers stress that peaceful advocacy cements community trust. Laws and Learning Reinforce Protection Participants study the…

Escalating Signs of Conflict in Jonglei State Rumblings of fresh violence are echoing across Jonglei State, as reports of armed youth movements filter in from rural fishing islands. Community leaders warn that the rivalry between Duk and Twic East counties, once dormant, could flare again at short notice. INTREPID South Sudan Raises Early Alarm INTREPID South Sudan’s executive director, Bol Deng Bol, described the pattern of incidents as “a warning trend.” In a statement, he said social media chatter and cluster meetings reveal large-scale mobilisations able to tip the dispute into outright combat. Call for Neutral Deployment at Bioth-Agany The…

Global Forum Sets the Stage From Rome’s packed Global Food Forum, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Hussein Abdelbagi Akol framed South Sudan’s agricultural future. Surrounded by world leaders, his delegation argued that robust farms, not oil, can anchor a diversified economy and steady rural incomes across the nascent nation. Bolder Investment Vision Back in Juba, Akol outlined a USD 288 million proposal designed to entice blended public-private finance. The package promises cold chains, feeder roads and research grants, aiming to lift yields, cut post-harvest losses and place South Sudan on investors’ agricultural radar for the first time. Focus on Sorghum,…