Author: The South Sudan Herald

Africa Elephant Conservation Split Across Regions In Africa’s elephant story, geography matters. In South Sudan, conservation teams struggle to find even one animal in vast protected areas. In parts of southern Africa, successful protection has concentrated elephants, intensifying pressure on land and raising human-wildlife conflict (The Guardian). South Sudan Badingilo National Park: Tracking the Last Elephant Late in a January dry season, smoke hangs over grasslands as people burn vegetation to stimulate new growth. From an ultralight aircraft above Badingilo National Park, observers expect spotting the park’s last elephant to be difficult across nearly 9,000 square kilometres (The Guardian). A…

Jonglei State clashes reshape a key corridor JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), said on Friday that it captured Pajut after intense clashes with government forces in Jonglei State. The reported takeover, if confirmed, would mark a notable shift along the main road to Bor, a corridor that has long carried both civilian traffic and military movements in a region often described as volatile. Why Pajut matters on the road to Bor Pajut is the administrative capital of Pajut Payam in Duk County. The town lies about 170 kilometres north…

Juba meeting focuses on South Sudan security and polls The Vatican’s envoy to South Sudan, Archbishop Seamus Patrick Horgan, has called for renewed efforts to reduce violence and strengthen peace across the country, arguing that long-term development depends on stability. He spoke after meeting Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga in Juba on Wednesday. Their discussions covered the national security situation and preparations for the December 2026 general elections, according to remarks carried by the state-owned broadcaster SSBC. Holy See urges de-escalation and national unity In comments to SSBC, Archbishop Horgan said the Holy See remains concerned about continued violence…

Stockholm Court Hears Key Testimony in Lundin Oil Trial Survivors of conflict in Unity State were described as moving closer to justice on Thursday, as former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt testified at Stockholm District Court in the Lundin Oil trial (Eye Radio). The court is examining allegations of grave human rights abuses and war crimes linked to oil operations in Unity State between 1999 and 2003, during the Sudanese civil war, a period associated with displacement and violence, according to the report (Eye Radio). Carl Bildt Questioned on Board Role and Knowledge of Sudan Bildt, who sat on Lundin…

Jonglei State tensions and a viral ultimatum letter A Nuer spiritual leader in Ayod County, Jonglei State, has not declared war on the government, officials say, even as violence continues between government forces and fighters aligned with the opposition SPLM-IO in parts of the state (Radio Tamazuj). For several days, a letter shared widely on social media and attributed to Prophet Makuach Tut claimed to give county authorities and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces a 46-hour ultimatum to leave Ayod County or face attack in support of the SPLM-IO (Radio Tamazuj). Fighting in northern Jonglei and shifting control claims…

Bor Statement Warns Against Ethnic Escalation Community leaders from the Nuer and Dinka groups, alongside civil society representatives in Bor, issued a joint statement backing peaceful coexistence. They cautioned that fighting in northern Jonglei could be misread, or exploited, in ways that trigger ethnic violence. Lessons From the 2013 and 2016 Civil Wars At a Thursday press conference, the leaders recalled the heavy social and economic damage from the 2013 and 2016 civil wars. They noted that communities across South Sudan, particularly Dinka and Nuer, still live with enduring scars from those crises. Concern Over SSPDF–SPLA-IO Clashes in Northern Jonglei…

AU C5 Delegation in Juba: Mission on Peace Deal Progress A South Sudanese civil society leader is urging the African Union to place trust-building and the release of political detainees at the centre of its engagement, arguing that divisions among leaders continue to slow the country’s transition from violence to peace. The appeal follows the arrival of the AU C5 delegation in Juba on Wednesday for a two-day mission aimed at assessing progress in implementing the 2018 peace agreement, according to information carried by Eye Radio. Foreign Affairs Statement: Reviewing IGAD-Led Peace Efforts In a statement referenced by the Ministry…

South Sudan Uror clashes: what the governor said Jonglei State Governor Dr. Riek Gai Kok has condemned alleged looting and destruction attributed to SPLA-IO forces in Uror County. Speaking in Duk County to citizens displaced by recent fighting, he argued that violence cannot deliver legitimate political authority (Eye Radio). IDPs in Duk County hear security and return timeline After what he described as a security assessment, Dr. Riek Gai told displaced families that order is being restored and that returns to Uror should begin soon. He said, “Our youth have arrived in Padiet and Pajut; the instability will come to…

Morobo–Aru Border Talks at Kengezi Authorities in Morobo County, Central Equatoria state, say they held a cross-border meeting with administrators from the Aru region of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Kengezi border post near Bazillion. They agreed on steps aimed at restoring calm after weeks of tension. De-escalation Effort After Five Weeks of Tension Officials say the engagement, held on Wednesday, was designed to de-escalate and strengthen cooperation between the neighboring regions. The meeting followed heightened tensions over the past five weeks linked to unauthorized border crossings and the detention of combatants on both sides. Morobo Commissioner Calls…

Humanitarian access dispute in Jonglei State The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has accused government forces in Juba of blocking humanitarian assistance to opposition-held locations in South Sudan’s Jonglei State. The movement argues that limits on access are aggravating civilian hardship in remote communities. Uror County: Pathai Payam attack allegations In a statement obtained by Sudans Post and dated Wednesday, January 14, 2026, SPLM-IO spokesperson Pal Mai Deng said civilians in Pathai Payam of Uror County were attacked the previous night. He said injured people were transported to a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Lankien the following morning. “In…