Author: The South Sudan Herald

Nationwide Civic Education Campaign Teams from the National Constitutional Review Commission have fanned out to Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal. Their brief is to explain the constitutional roadmap and collect citizens’ priorities directly in villages, markets and youth centres. Vacancies in Constitution Drafting Committee Secretary General John Natana Abraham confirmed that advertisements for the 15-seat Constitution Drafting Committee will appear shortly. He stressed the panel’s non-partisan nature, noting that only proven technical competence, not political affiliation, will guide the selection process. Blend of National and International Expertise Twelve seats are reserved for South…

Nagero images ignite social media outrage Social media widely circulated grisly images of five young men, aged 17 to 22, reportedly shot by government forces in Nagero County, Western Equatoria State. Posts accused soldiers of killing unarmed civilians. The claims quickly sparked outrage across South Sudanese timelines, with activists demanding swift accountability from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces. SSPDF rebuts accusations of civilian deaths Speaking to reporters in Juba on Wednesday, SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang firmly rejected the allegations, insisting no civilians were targeted. “Our troops were ambushed by SPLM-IO elements dressed in civilian clothes,” he…

Roadmap for Durable Solutions Unity State Governor Riek Bim Top has presented the Durable Solutions Roadmap, a long-term plan aiming to resettle about 474,071 people who have endured lengthy displacement caused by successive conflict and flooding. Unveiled during a ceremony on Tuesday, the initiative is framed as a pivot from emergency relief to sustainable recovery, positioning Unity State as a test case for regional peace-building strategies (Eye Radio, 2025). Land Allocation and Services Land allocation stands at the roadmap’s core. Authorities intend to secure plots where displaced families can rebuild homes, grow food and start businesses, reducing dependence on temporary…

Rising Tensions in Lakes State A fresh spate of violence has unsettled Lakes State, leaving three people dead in interconnected revenge attacks that flared this week between neighboring communities, local officials confirmed on Wednesday. Authorities fear the killings could reignite wider hostilities in a region already marked by cyclical confrontations linked to cattle raiding and resource disputes. Chain of Events Behind the Clashes Trouble began on Monday after Kedic Keloktuol was shot dead in Meen Payam, Rumbek North County, in what Commissioner Moses Maker Magok described as a revenge attack. Keloktuol’s death triggered retaliatory clashes that spread into neighboring Rumbek…

Custody Death Raises Family Doubts Capt. Luka Gathok Nyuon, aged in his forties, was buried at Jebel Cemetery after authorities released his body to relatives. Military doctors attributed the September 18 death to a stomach complication, yet the family questions the impartiality of the in-house autopsy. Competing Narratives From Ex-Detainees Former cellmates who gained release attended the funeral and told mourners that Nyuon collapsed after weeks of untreated illness and scant food at Jamus detention centre. One ex-detainee said, ‘He grew weaker daily; we often shared our rations with him,’ adding that medical requests were ignored. Legal Options and Search…

Journalists Face New Barriers in Juba Courtroom Independent reporters were again refused full access to the special court hearing for suspended First Vice-President Riek Machar in Juba on Wednesday. Security demanded all recording gear be surrendered, shrinking coverage to note-taking only inside a session declared public by the bench. Judge’s Directives and Security Tactics Sources inside the courtroom said presiding Judge James Alala asked journalists to avoid audio, video or still images. Security officers then filtered entrants, allowing some reporters to sit as ordinary citizens after depositing phones and cameras outside the hall. Activists Warn of Eroding Public Trust South…

A ticking clock in Juba Inside Juba’s presidential compound, whispers thicken over succession as President Salva Kiir, 72, nears two decades in power. Diplomats speak of a “ticking clock” that could redefine South Sudan’s fate. Few doubt his eventual departure; mortality is an equalizer. The real concern, officials concede, is the political vacuum that might follow hours after any sudden exit. Fragile political architecture South Sudan’s 2018 revitalised peace deal sketches a succession chain, naming the First Vice President as immediate caretaker. Yet the agreement remains paper-thin amid overlapping loyalties and stalled constitutional reforms. Dr. Remember Miamingi, a governance analyst,…

FDs Raise Alarm at R-JMEC Session During the fourth extraordinary session of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) in Juba on 7 October, Former Political Detainees representative Maj Gen Bior Leek Kuareng voiced “deep disappointment” over alleged breaches of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan. Dismissal of Deng Alor Questioned Kuareng pointed to the presidential decree that relieved Deng Alor of his ministerial post, calling the unilateral decision a direct deviation from the accord’s power-sharing spirit. The FDs argue that signatory blocs should be consulted before any reshuffle affecting their allotted…

Historic Election of Ahou Abit Ruth Twic East County, Jonglei State, witnessed a milestone as community delegates elected and swore in Ahou Abit Ruth Muka to chair Nyiir Cit Arialbek, a women-led association. Observers framed the peaceful vote as a turning point for inclusive leadership. In her first address, Muka said she accepted the post ‘not as a privilege but as a calling to serve with integrity’ (local media). Her phrasing underlined a generational shift, yet she acknowledged continuity by saluting outgoing chair Hon. Adut Mamer Ayach. Four-Pillar Agenda for Empowerment Muka outlined a four-pillar roadmap: expand scholarships and mentorship,…

Juba-Bor Highway Attack Leaves Two Wounded Gunmen opened fire on a passenger vehicle between Bilyaang and Mogiri on South Sudan’s busy Juba-Bor highway, injuring two travellers and halting traffic on the crucial link between Jonglei’s capital Bor and Juba, officials said Tuesday. Witness accounts collected by Drivers Union chair Deng Jool describe attackers emerging from roadside scrub, seizing cash and luggage before passengers scattered into nearby woodland, where most remained hidden until security forces arrived. Jool confirmed the wounded suffered head and shoulder injuries yet were in stable condition after evacuation to Juba Teaching Hospital, adding that all other occupants…