Author: The South Sudan Herald

New Centers Boost Western Bahr el Ghazal Farming Two freshly built Farmer Centers and adjacent stores have been formally delivered to communities in Besilia and Kuajiena, marking a milestone for Western Bahr el Ghazal’s push to revive agriculture after years of conflict and climate shocks. Financed by the World Bank’s Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods Project and executed by FAO, each site carries demonstration plots, water yards, maize mills and sorghum threshers inside a protective fence, turning the compounds into hands-on schools for climate-smart farming. The five-year programme, launched in 2021 with 93 million dollars, operates across fourteen counties. Officials emphasise that…

Tambura Ambush Claims SSPDF Life Western Equatoria authorities have confirmed that an SSPDF patrol was ambushed near Yubu Bridge, five miles from Tambura Town, on Thursday morning. One soldier was killed and two were evacuated to Juba after sustaining gunshot wounds. Eyewitnesses reported brief but intense gunfire echoing across the forested road. Sequence of the Thursday Attack County Commissioner Mathew Mabenge said the patrol was conducting routine security checks before meeting heavy fire allegedly from SPLA-IO units. Moments later, attackers reportedly advanced toward the nearby barracks but were repelled by return fire. The area is now quiet, yet officials describe…

Citizenship-for-Service Strategy in Sudan Khartoum’s transitional authorities are reportedly fast-tracking citizenship for thousands of foreign nationals. Civil monitors say the new passports arrive with uniforms and rifles as fresh recruits bolster the overstretched Sudanese Armed Forces against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces on urban and desert frontlines. Demographic Stakes at the Contested Border Analysts link the naturalization drive to Abyei and other oil-rich zones straddling Sudan and South Sudan. By swelling voter rolls with loyal newcomers, the government could tip any future referendum on the territory’s status, securing strategic depth and hydrocarbons in one calculated move. Regional Reactions and…

Silent Stream of Returnees to Eastern Equatoria Every dawn, dusty buses and weary walkers reach Kapoeta, turning the market town into an unexpected reception point for South Sudanese escaping the tightening belt of Kakuma. Local officials count as many as 80 arrivals a day, a pace unseen since the 2016 border clashes. Food Aid Cuts Behind Return Decision Returnees interviewed by Eye Radio describe shrinking food rations, intermittent water and classrooms without books inside the Kenyan camp. Most blame recent reductions in donor funding, saying the two-kilogram monthly cereal allotment can no longer stretch through a week. Kapoeta’s Limited Capacity…

China–South Sudan Cultural Diplomacy On Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in Juba rewarded 22 budding writers with cash and certificates after a regional contest themed “Chinese Modernization in My Eyes”. The initiative, launched by Chinese missions worldwide, seeks personal stories that connect Beijing’s development journey with local African realities. Contest Highlights Shared Development Vision The competition forms part of a global initiative encouraging non-Chinese citizens to narrate how technological, economic and social gains in China resonate within their own societies. Ambassador Ma Qiang told the ceremony that Beijing’s cooperation with Africa aims at a “just, inclusive and eco-friendly modernization” aligned with…

Sudden Shake-Up at SSBC Juba awoke to fresh headlines early Thursday as President Salva Kiir, in a late-night decree, removed managing director James Magok Chilim from the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation and named seasoned journalist John Madol Panther as successor. State television interrupted programming to read the order, which cited a Council of Ministers recommendation yet omitted timing details. The cabinet itself has not convened publicly for months, fueling speculation over how and where the decision crystallised. Legal Framework Governing Appointments The 2013 Broadcasting Corporation Act assigns the board the power to nominate a managing director by two-thirds vote, followed…

Record-Breaking Night in Moçâmedes South Sudan restored their title hopes in electrifying style on Thursday, overwhelming Libya 115-52 in Moçâmedes, Angola. The 63-point gap is the widest seen at the 2025 AfroBasket, reaffirming the Bright Stars’ growing stature after Tuesday’s surprise defeat to Guinea (Eye Radio). Relentless Press Sets Early Tone Coach Royal Ivey ordered a full-court press from the opening tip, and Libya unraveled. Within three minutes South Sudan led 9-2; by the first timeout it was 18-2. The Bright Stars never relinquished control, finishing the quarter ahead 31-12 and silencing Libyan supporters (FIBA). Captain Omot Sparks Balanced Offense…

Abyei Borderland at the Heart of Two Nations From Khartoum to Juba, few names stir debate like Abyei. The fertile, oil-rich enclave straddles the 1956 north-south frontier and still awaits the promised referendum agreed in 2005. For many locals, the stand-off is a daily reality, not a diplomatic footnote. Successive peace talks have postponed a final ruling, leaving Ngok Dinka pastoralists and Misseriya nomads in administrative limbo. Each side believes history and grazing rights favor its claim, heightening the value of every new identity card issued. Citizenship Offer Shifts the Chessboard Port Sudan authorities now offer Sudanese passports to thousands…

Historic high-level contact When Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel landed in Juba, observers quickly labelled the stopover the most senior bilateral engagement yet between both states, a symbolic milestone for South Sudan’s decade-old diplomacy seeking diversified partners. Haskel held back-to-back meetings with Foreign Affairs Minister Ramadan Mohamed Goc and President Salva Kiir, discussing shared interests and reaffirming Israel’s 2011 pledge to assist the world’s youngest nation, according to the South Sudanese presidency. Economic stakes in oil, water, agritech Officials quietly note that Juba’s oil revenue has fallen amid volatile global prices; Israeli firms specialising in enhanced recovery, drip irrigation…

Parliament Voices Concern Over Domestic Displacement In a letter circulated in Bor, MP Wany Bum Makhor urged President Salva Kiir to centre scarce resources on nearly two million internally displaced citizens before opening the borders to Palestinians fleeing the Gaza war. Makhor praised Juba’s humanitarian tradition, noting South Sudan’s vote in March supporting a ceasefire in Gaza, yet urged a “realistic evaluation of bandwidth” before offering territory and services to new arrivals. Financial and Security Realities on the Ground UN OCHA estimates that 9.4 million South Sudanese will need assistance this year, while oil revenues have dipped amid global price…