Author: The South Sudan Herald

Rumbek cultural festival unites communities Drums echoed across Lakes State as more than 10,000 residents converged on Rumbek for a cultural peace festival organised by the Rumbek Youth and Sports Association with backing from Norwegian People’s Aid. The event marked the World Day for Cultural Diversity and aimed to heal intercommunal wounds. Songs, dance and sport rebuild trust Teams from Rumbek East, Wulu and Rumbek Centre swapped rivalry for football, volleyball and Dinka dances. Shared laughter replaced suspicion as youths exchanged jerseys and lyrics, illustrating Executive Director Abbas Mayek Mayen’s belief that culture can break stereotypes faster than any negotiation…

Chinese CSR Investment in Gwudugge When waters rose last month, residents watched anxiously. The new concrete channel, funded by Zhong Zhou International, held firm, guiding torrents away from homes. Embassy chargé d’Affaires Huo Ying called the performance “proof that targeted projects can change lives overnight.” Ying told villagers that Chinese companies “value the neighbourhoods hosting our businesses.” She framed the six-month build as corporate social responsibility rather than charity, stressing long-term partnership between Juba County communities and Chinese investors. Community Voices on Flood Relief Community chairman Martin Sooka David recalled waist-deep floods that once stranded pupils and spoiled harvests. “We…

A Historic Milestone for Juba’s Catholics St. John the Baptist Chapel in Juba buzzed with anticipation as congregants gathered for the archdiocese’s first Mass celebrated entirely in the Chollo language. Held under the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, the liturgy drew clergy, parishioners and a sizeable Chollo diaspora, turning an ordinary Saturday into a landmark for linguistic inclusion within South Sudan’s Catholic community. Vernacular Worship and Church Inclusivity Assistant parish priest Fr. Samuel Jada framed the occasion as a testament to the Church’s universality, noting that ‘every language, every culture, every people finds a home at the altar’ (The Dawn). He…

Rising Toll Amid Fragile Calm South Sudan’s struggle with gun violence resurfaced in 2024, as 755 people lost their lives across 234 incidents, according to a new report by the One Citizen Network for Democracy. The findings suggest that the revitalized 2018 peace deal brought only partial relief, leaving communities vulnerable to localised conflict, cattle raids and brazen highway ambushes. Toll on Civilians, Soldiers and Traders OCND’s Truth Lab tallied 657 civilian deaths, 81 soldiers and 17 foreign nationals, many of them traders attacked while moving goods. Men comprised the vast majority of victims, yet 43 women and 18 children…

Justice Minister’s Order Sparks Debate On Wednesday, South Sudan’s Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech Geng lifted a seven-month closure on Freedom Hotel and approved bail for its owner and staff, citing lack of legal grounds for continued detention or business shutdown. Forensic Results and Bail Timeline According to a ministerial memo, investigators received Nairobi-based forensic results in June 2025, confirming that three sisters from one family died in room 21 on 28 March. The minister said investigations had formally closed that month. Defense attorneys then made several unsuccessful bail bids before the Director of Public Prosecutions finally granted release, only…

Community Voices Shape Conservation Agenda A packed meeting in Tore Payam gathered traditional chiefs, state wildlife officers, Enjojo Foundation staff, and local officials. After hours of debate, all sides endorsed ongoing wildlife protection, provided that decisions start at the village level and remain accountable to residents. “The project must be community-driven,” explained Salah Aggrey, Secretary General of the Land Committee. “Our people stay part of every decision.” His words echoed throughout the hall, underscoring a collective insistence on ownership rather than top-down directives. Demand for Inclusive Memorandum of Understanding Participants welcomed the existing MoU between Enjojo Foundation and the national…

Presidential Backing for Grassroots Strategy President Salva Kiir has reportedly instructed Upper Nile Governor Jacob Dollar to treat peace in Eastern Jikany as a national priority, linking calm in the state to stability across South Sudan. The directive set the tone for a hands-on mission that departs from traditional office governance. Relocating the State Headquarters Dollar told worshippers in Juba that he will “pitch camps” in Ulang and Nasir. By living among displaced families, he aims to accelerate dialogue, monitor security incidents in real time, and reassure civilians who view government authority as distant or transient. Youth and Faith Leaders…

Training sparks new awareness in Aweil Thirty residents of Northern Bahr el Ghazal gathered in Aweil last Saturday for an intensive workshop on disability inclusion, organised by the international NGO Humanity and Inclusion. The session sought to tackle lingering social barriers, reminding participants that equality requires daily, tangible action in classrooms, markets and government offices. Humanity and Inclusion at the helm “We are bringing diverse people together so their rights are acknowledged,” humanitarian action officer Maria Alual told the closing ceremony, underscoring the need for ramps, signage and teacher training across the state. Alual emphasised that visually and hearing-impaired citizens…

Alleged Attempted Filicide in Aweil West Police in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State are searching for 30-year-old Akon Tong Akol, accused of trying to hang her five-year-old son on Friday in Maduany payam. A neighbor intervened and rescued the boy, who is now treated at Aweil Civil Hospital, while the suspect fled the scene and remains at large, authorities confirmed. Eyewitness Account and Ongoing Shock “What happened is surprising,” said the child’s uncle, John Garang Mou. “She tried to hang the child, and neighbors saved him.” The unprecedented incident has stunned Maduany’s residents. Garang added that the motive remains unclear,…

Persistent ID Document Gaps Queues at Juba’s immigration offices lengthen whenever passport booklets run out, a problem that has recurred for years. Officials attribute interruptions to funding delays and high operating costs, leaving citizens stranded when planning travel, studies or medical care abroad. Major General Elia Costa, head of the Directorate of Civil Registry, told Eye Radio that periodic shortages damage public trust but can be solved with predictable financing. “Availability of materials is purely financial,” he stressed in last Friday’s broadcast (Eye Radio interview). Inside the Proposed 50-50 Split Costa outlined a revenue-sharing concept now before the Ministry of…