Author: The South Sudan Herald

Immunity Lift Sparks Legal Drama On Tuesday, South Sudan’s Transitional Legislative Assembly voted to lift MP Robert Anei Salva Mathok’s immunity, clearing the path for a criminal case alleging assault and trespass against fellow lawmaker Amel Yak Diel (Radio Tamazuj). Justice Minister Wek Mamer Kuol requested the vote in June, and legislators from several parties agreed that immunity covers only civil matters, not serious criminal allegations. Land Row Behind the Tussle The dispute traces back to 2023, when Yak accused Anei of forcibly entering contested land linked to Rock City Hotel in Juba, an asset Anei manages for his late…

Origins of the Boundary Question The forested ridge between Kajo-Keji and Ngomoromo has long blurred the frontier of South Sudan and Uganda, a colonial-era ambiguity that periodically sparks troop deployments, market closures and the flight of farming families. Last week an International Conference on the Great Lakes Region verification team toured the flashpoints, gathering testimonies with a view to presenting de-escalation options at an upcoming heads-of-state summit. The Scholar and His Map During doctoral research at the American University of Abuja in 2012, South Sudanese historian Dr Charles Okeny Ben says he uncovered an original British survey map in a…

Detention Shakes South Sudan Politics Dr Riek Machar, First Vice-President and head of the SPLM-IO, has remained under house arrest in Juba since 2021, without formal charges. Observers say the measure, initially linked to security arrangements, now shapes the political landscape months before South Sudan’s long-promised elections. House Arrest and Legal Questions South Sudan’s constitution protects movement and due process, yet no court has processed Machar’s case. Justice Ministry officials decline comment, while government spokespeople describe the detention as a “transitional safeguard,” a phrase critics argue lacks clear legal basis under national or regional statutes. Health Concerns Under Tight Restrictions…

Constitution-making enters critical phase South Sudan’s National Constitution Review Commission has opened a new chapter in nation-building, rolling out nationwide civic education and public consultation for a permanent constitution after months of procedural groundwork. Civic education pilots in three states The pilot phase begins in Western Bahr el Ghazal, Central Equatoria and Upper Nile states, alongside the Ruweng Administrative Area, chosen for their demographic diversity and relative accessibility, according to Chairperson Riang Yier Zuor during a symposium in Juba. People’s voice to shape final draft Zuor stresses that, unlike earlier top-down charters, the process is “people-led from start to finish,”…

Spate of Child Kidnappings Rocks Lokiliri News of more than two hundred children snatched from villages around Lokiliri Payam has shocked Central Equatoria State this month. Residents recount dawn raids by armed men who, witnesses say, moved swiftly through sparse savannah, herding terrified minors toward the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. Lawmakers Sound Security Alarm Addressing the state assembly, Hon. Jackline Benjamin Lado reported 300 abductions and 150 killings in only two years, pleading for decisive intervention. She asked colleagues to summon both Governor Emmanuel Adil and Chief Administrator Abudhok Ayang to clarify response plans and resource gaps. Communities Demand Robust…

Grassroots Legal Notice Rocks Juba Fed up with uneven roads and dry taps, communities in Gudele, Hai-Referendum and Mia-Saba have sent a formal legal notice to Juba’s authorities, warning that a constitutional lawsuit will follow unless basic services improve within 14 working days. Residents Invoke Bill of Rights Represented by counsel Mario Maker Majok, the petitioners cite Articles 37, 41 and 126 of the 2011 Transitional Constitution, asserting that access to clean water, safe roads and a healthy environment is not a privilege but an enforceable right. “We are merely asking institutions to do their statutory job,” explains community organiser…

Liquidity Crunch Grips Juba Queues outside Juba’s tellers have grown longer this month, with clients limited to small withdrawals despite soaring needs. The Bank of South Sudan says the bottleneck undermines trade flows, tax collection and household resilience. To restore circulation, the central bank will auction 20 billion South Sudanese Pounds to commercial lenders on 27 August 2025, marking its largest single liquidity injection since independence. Auction Mechanics and Timelines Bidding opens at 09:00 and closes one hour later; adjudication follows immediately, allowing same-day settlement. Winning banks receive funds without delay, a feature designed to avert weekend cash dry-outs. Tenors…

Black Rain Startles a City Over a week of intense showers, Juba residents woke to puddles the colour of engine oil. Social media images spread quickly, prompting lively roadside debates and radio call-ins. For many, it was the first time rain had arrived looking more like ink than water. Meteorological officers confirmed 80 millimetres of rain fell on 21 August, matching ICPAC forecasts of a wetter season. Yet the colour perplexed them. “This is not a standard weather event; contaminants are involved,” said senior forecaster Angelo Ladu during a televised briefing. Tracing the Pollution Sources Environmental chemists point first to…

Rising Wave of South Sudanese Voluntary Returns Dozens of families are leaving Kenya’s Kakuma camp every week, trekking 400 kilometres toward the Nadapal gate that marks South Sudan’s frontier. Local authorities in Greater Kapoeta estimate more than 2,000 people have crossed since July, a figure climbing steadily. Returnees cite shrinking food rations, classroom overcrowding, and uncertainty over future resettlement prospects inside the sprawling Kenyan settlement, according to testimonies gathered by Eye Radio reporters and humanitarian monitors. Envoy Adut Salva Kiir’s Dignity-First Blueprint Sworn in this week as Senior Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, Adut Salva Kiir used her maiden briefing…

Governor Altaib’s Vision for Inclusive Governance Newly sworn-in Western Equatoria governor James Altaib Berapai told reporters in Juba that no commissioner will serve in their native county, describing the decision as a deliberate gesture toward post-conflict healing and cross-community confidence. He argued that decades of localized rivalry have fostered suspicion, and fresh faces leading each county could reset relationships. “A son of Mvolo in Nzara, a daughter of Nzara in Ezo,” he said, suggesting rotation will symbolically dismantle parochial fault lines. A Region Marred by Insecurity and Displacement Crop raids, child abductions and sporadic gunfire continue to unsettle Tambura, Nagero…