Author: The South Sudan Herald

Fresh voices in South Sudanese agriculture At the University of Juba, third-year Agricultural Science student Chol Alier Dit is urging his compatriots to move beyond the hand-hoe. Speaking to The Dawn, he argued that subsistence farming traps households in low yields and keeps the nation dependent on food imports. Alier believes 2020s technology—precision seeders, mobile weather apps, solar pumps—could double cereal output and align South Sudan with its East African neighbours. “Life is not only about our own ideas; learning from others matters,” he said. Fertile land, untapped opportunity Decades of conflict left vast stretches of black-cotton soil idle, yet…

Relentless Downpour Submerges Twic East Three straight days of unseasonal rain have turned Twic East County in Jonglei State into a watery maze (state radio reports). Locals compare the scene to an inland sea, with market stalls, clinics and schools sitting under brown floodwater. Displacement Figures Rise by the Hour Lawmakers estimate that more than 50,000 people have trekked to nearby levees and church grounds now serving as improvised camps (parliament transcript). Families crowd under tarpaulins, sharing the little food salvaged from flooded homes, while wells are contaminated and malaria fears mount. Lawmakers Push for Immediate Response Deng Dau Deng,…

Yambio Records Sharp Uptick in Hepatitis Laboratories in Yambio confirmed 231 hepatitis infections from 1,300 people screened in April. Dr Peter David Siro described the figures as “a wake-up call that the virus is moving faster than our response.” Women accounted for nearly half the cases, while twenty children also tested positive. Testing Shortfalls Expose Silent Spread Clinicians report dwindling rapid-test cartridges as community demand surges. Villagers trekking from remote payams often find supplies exhausted by midday, forcing some to return untested. “We cannot map the outbreak without reliable diagnostics,” a senior lab officer lamented. Vaccines and Treatment Centres in…

Historic Gathering in Juba More than 60 women from Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area converged in Juba for a landmark five-day peace conference, seeking to break entrenched cycles of revenge killings, child abductions and gender-based violence that have scarred South Sudan for decades. Women Drive Grassroots Peace Organised by the local NGO Peace Canal under its Bridges of Peace programme, the event provided what coordinator Nyadow Biel Makuach called “the first safe space for women to speak as peace fighters, not victims,” bringing together Nuer, Murle and Dinka representatives from Greater Bor, Greater Akobo and Ayod. Makuach…

South Sudan Independence Dream Tested On 9 July 2011, crowds in Juba waved flags under a hot Sahel sun, convinced that sacrifice had birthed a state of hope. Thirteen years later, many South Sudanese still await the dividends of freedom, navigating recurrent insecurity, inflation, and political deadlock. Leadership and Governance Challenges Veterans of the liberation war and younger politicians often present revolutionary credentials as proof of legitimacy. Analysts argue that such entitlement breeds factionalism, patronage, and contested resource allocation, hampering the consolidation of impartial institutions and diverting attention from service delivery and nation-building. Oil revenues once promised quick development, yet…

A Sudden Detention Major General Akot Lual Arech, once a trusted presidential envoy on Pibor affairs, was taken by security agents in Juba on 2 August without formal charges. His three-week custody stirred questions inside South Sudan’s legal community, as the constitution demands a court appearance within 24 hours. Community Mobilization During Lual’s confinement, the Awan Chan Youth Association launched daily social-media appeals, portraying the issue as a test of communal solidarity. Spokesman John Mawien Maduok argued that “a son of Warrap cannot vanish in silence,” urging elders to lobby discreetly at the presidency. Legal Lens and Human Rights Rights…

Foreign Ministry Weekly Briefings Plan South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that it will meet the press every Thursday from 4 September as part of a new transparency drive. Officials say the regular slot will offer verified updates on diplomatic engagements and quickly correct what they call “misinformation” before it gains traction online or on community radios. Gaza Resettlement Rumors Addressed The ministry once again labeled reports of talks to host Palestinians displaced from Gaza as “false and unfounded,” stressing that no formal or informal dialogue with Israel or other partners has occurred on the matter. Analysts note…

Peace Deal Called a National Lifeline Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr Martin Elia Lomuro told a Juba symposium that the Revitalized Agreement remains South Sudan’s “most vital roadmap” after years of conflict. He argued that the pact has largely silenced guns and restored a measure of political calm. Implementation Milestones and Gaps Key provisions—unified forces, financial reforms, and electoral groundwork—have slipped past several deadlines. Lomuro conceded that implementation is arduous, yet insisted shared responsibility between state, church, and civil society keeps the accord on course. Observers warn citizens need quicker, tangible results. China’s Visible Footprint Praising Beijing’s “practical friendship,” Lomuro highlighted…

Tokyo Talks Fuel South Sudan Investor Drive At Juba International Airport, Foreign Affairs Minister Monday Semaya Kumba voiced optimism after returning from TICAD 9 in Yokohama. He publicly invited Japanese industrial groups to survey South Sudan’s frontier economy, calling the moment “an opening for mutual prosperity.” Mining, Agriculture and Beyond Await Capital Minister Kumba outlined mining, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, trade and transport as immediate entry points for Japanese firms, stressing the nation’s underexploited resources and strategic Nile corridor. Analysts in Juba argue that early movers could replicate success stories seen in neighboring markets, provided stability initiatives continue. TICAD 9’s Broader…

Silent Costs of Reporting in South Sudan Across Juba’s streets, reporters barter phone credit for transport as news tips pile up unanswered. Hunger, not censorship, is muzzling voices. “Our notebooks are full, but our wallets are empty,” sighs veteran editor Joseph Lagu during an evening briefing. Economic Pressures on Newsrooms Post-2013 conflict shrinkage stripped advertising and donor grants, leaving many outlets operating below subsistence. Freelancers often earn under five dollars per story, barely covering a meal, compelling self-censorship to protect irregular patrons or politically connected sponsors. Social Media’s Glittering Mirage Livestreams and dance challenges flood timelines, giving the illusion of…