Author: The South Sudan Herald

Juba Congress Sets the Stage In a tightly-run extraordinary congress in Juba, 38 delegates representing 16 local associations and three statutory committees gathered to vote for a new South Sudan Football Federation leadership covering the 2025-2029 cycle. Observers from CAF and FIFA described the atmosphere as orderly, with ballot boxes kept in full view and counting streamed on internal screens, a first for the young federation. Election Outcome and Key Positions Former SSFF chief Francis Amin Michael returned to the presidency after securing a clear majority. Makur Majok Koryom became first vice-president and Deng Abdelrhaman Guer second vice-president, reflecting an…

Lights Out in Jonglei’s Capital Since Monday, Bor, the dynamic capital of Jonglei State, has been plunged into darkness after its sole diesel-powered station halted for routine maintenance. The unexpected blackout has now stretched into a sixth day, straining households, clinics and the bustling river port economy. Economic Ripple Effects on SMEs Owner Peter Kajobe reports revenue losses as high-capacity printers sit idle in his computer centre. He now relies on a small generator burning costly fuel, shrinking his margins just when schools queue for exam papers. Cold-drink vendors, phone-charging kiosks and tailoring shops echo the complaint. Night-time trade along…

Eastern Equatoria Security Outlook Governor Louis Lobong Lojore says roads are safer, schools reopened and markets revived across Magwi County, arguing that the main triggers of the 2014 exodus are easing thanks to local ceasefire arrangements and joint patrols. Faith Gathering Highlights Hope Speaking during the ordination of three priests and four deacons at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Loa, the governor used the pulpit to extend his invitation, blending spiritual renewal with social reintegration. Vice-President Josephine Lagu and Environment Minister Josephine Napwon echoed the call, urging congregants to ‘heal the land by returning’ while pledging stronger basic services.…

Historic Upgrade for Nimule Municipality Joyous ululations echoed across Nimule as Vice-President Josephine Lagu Yanga cut the ribbon on the town’s new municipality on Wednesday, officially raising the bustling border settlement to the same administrative rank as South Sudan’s major cities (Eye Radio). The legal proclamation, signed earlier this month by Governor Louis Lobong Lojore, converts the formerly county-managed town into a self-administered municipality with its own council, budget and mayoral office, a first for Eastern Equatoria’s southern corridor. Gateway Town Holds Strategic Value Straddling the White Nile and the busy Juba-Kampala highway, Nimule handles most goods entering South Sudan…

Historic Vote Reshapes South Sudan Football Francis Amin returned to football’s top seat in South Sudan after defeating incumbent General Augustine Maduot in a federation election that observers in Juba hailed as calm and credible. Amin captured 26 of the 38 ballots, securing leadership until 2029. Contested Ballot Draws Clear Winner Maduot, who steered the South Sudan Football Federation for four years, obtained 12 votes and quickly conceded. “Defeat will not send me away from the sport,” he told journalists, stressing his readiness to collaborate with the incoming administration. Promises of Grassroots Revival Campaigning under the slogan “Back to the…

Fatal Stabbing Shocks Rum-rol Community Police in Rum-rol, Madhol payam, confirmed the death of Abany Yor Kiir, allegedly stabbed by her co-wife Abuk Deng early Thursday. The two women are married to wounded veteran Majoth Kiir. Chronology of the Night Attack Witnesses say Abany was breastfeeding a one-year-old when the dispute flared. Investigators report that Abuk lured her co-wife outside before striking a single fatal blow to the abdomen. Swift Police and Judicial Action Youth chairperson Garang Lual labelled the act “despicable,” telling reporters the community was left numb. “Our priority is calm while the courts work,” he added. Madhol…

Independence Milestone and Early Hope When South Sudan raised its flag in July 2011, President Salva Kiir embodied liberation optimism. Oil wealth, international goodwill, and a unifying narrative promised rapid institution-building and inclusive growth across the Nile-fed grasslands. Conflict Years and Peace Efforts The 2013 political rift between Kiir and former vice-president Riek Machar quickly spiralled into national conflict, exposing fragile institutions and ethnic tensions that had simmered since wartime alliances. Mediated talks in Addis Ababa produced the 2018 Revitalised Agreement. Cease-fire violations persist, yet the unified command structure and formation of a transitional parliament are notable steps credited to…

International Youth Day Spotlight Markaz Al Salam, a youth-led NGO backed by Norwegian People’s Aid, used International Youth Day to commend South Sudanese youths for confronting modern challenges with courage, creativity and conviction. Theme Aligns with SDG Ambitions This year’s global theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” mirrors the aspirations of young South Sudanese who increasingly see themselves as architects of their country’s stability and prosperity. Grass-Roots Impact Across States From Juba’s tech hubs to cattle camps in Lakes State, youths are mediating local disputes, launching agri-start-ups and mentoring classmates displaced by conflict, testimony to what MAS…

Dawn Battle Stuns Yei River County At first light Saturday, fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition stormed South Sudan People’s Defense Forces positions in Lasu and Libogo, two farming villages southwest of Yei, unleashing the loudest firefight local residents recall since 2016. SPLA-IO spokesperson Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel said the operation began around 5 a.m., a time chosen, he noted, to “minimise civilian movement.” The army has not commented, but traders travelling the Yei–Lasu road confirmed plumes of smoke rising for hours afterward. Casualty Claims and Seized Weaponry Colonel Gabriel reported twelve government soldiers killed and five opposition fighters…

Key Lifeline Under Fire For residents of Western Equatoria, the 400-kilometre Juba-Yambio highway is more than asphalt; it is the spine that feeds markets, clinics and refugee camps across South Sudan. Yet recurring ambushes have turned its forested bends into a gauntlet no traveller forgets. On Monday at about 10 a.m., gunmen showered a UN-marked truck with bullets between Lainyi and Buagyi, wounding the driver in the leg but failing to halt the vehicle, County Commissioner John Henry Ngalamu confirmed by phone (The City Review). Eyewitness Accounts of Fear An eyewitness riding a battered minibus said the attack unfurled in…