Author: The South Sudan Herald

Escalation Threatens Fragile Stability Fresh firefights between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and SPLM/A-IO units, reported in Jonglei, Unity and Eastern Equatoria, have jolted a nation used to relative calm since 2018. The Center for Peace and Advocacy says the upsurge imperils the Revitalized Agreement, the backbone of the country’s political transition. Renewed Violence in Jonglei and Beyond Witness accounts mention joint White Army fighters backing opposition forces, reviving memories of earlier communal conflicts. Local monitors have flagged civilian deaths, though exact figures remain contested amid limited access for humanitarian teams. Risk to Civilians and Aid Access CPA stresses…

Escalating Violence Tests Peace Deal Fresh clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and the SPLA-IO over the weekend intensified a year-long breakdown of the 2018 revitalized peace accord, pushing violence into Unity State after earlier flare-ups in Nasir and much of Greater Equatoria and Upper Nile. Civil Society Decries ‘Death on Citizens’ Government arrests in March, including First Vice-President Riek Machar, followed heavy fighting in Nasir. Treason and murder charges opened in September, deepening mistrust as artillery strikes and ground assaults spread, according to battlefield reports shared with civil society monitors. Edmund Yakani, heading Community Empowerment for Progress…

Rapid Fall of Bentiu Camp Government troops in South Sudan seized Bentiu’s vast IDP camp on Sunday evening after a brisk one-hour battle that forced opposition fighters of the SPLA-IO to flee. The incident marks the most dramatic breakdown yet of the fragile 2018 security arrangements (Sudans Post). Armour and Artillery Precede Night Assault Security sources said the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces rushed heavy armour, including a main battle tank, to the camp perimeter at 5 p.m. local time, anticipating resistance from the joint police contingent controlled by SPLA-IO officers. Artillery exchanges west of Rubkona set the stage for…

Dry-Season Lightning Ignites Deadly Fire A bolt of lightning ripped through Wecpuot village in Akobo County before dawn on Sunday, igniting a cattle shelter and an adjacent tukul. The flames devoured 14 goats, family belongings and vital stores of sorghum, residents reported. Children Rescued Amid Raging Flames Children sleeping in the hut escaped unhurt, thanks to a frantic rescue led by neighbours who braved the heat and smoke. Buckets of water proved useless as the fire flared higher, scorching even the plastic containers. Eyewitness Describes Fiery Spectacle Witness Rebecca Nyatiek Majiok likened the strike to “a giant snake spitting fire”…

Escalating Communal Violence in Warrap Warrap State officials confirm that clashes between the Nyarmuong and Jur-Man-Anger communities have claimed 14 lives and left 15 people wounded since Monday. Local spokespeople describe a rapid escalation over the weekend, fuelled by revenge killings and the mobilisation of armed youth across Gogrial East County. Casualties and Medical Response Information Minister Mamer Bath reports that several wounded were moved to Kuajok and Wau hospitals, but warns that tall grasses and flooded tracks complicate evacuations. Police director Brigadier General Mabek Monytoc fears uncounted victims remain in unreachable villages, suggesting the death toll could rise as…

Rising Tensions Across South Sudan The opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition, SPLA-IO, issued a communiqué on 4 January 2026 announcing an “active defence” campaign against government forces in Juba, deepening a security climate already strained by months of sporadic clashes. Lt. Gen. Peter Thok Chuol, acting chief of staff, framed the operation as a necessary pressure tool to stop “the suffering of citizens,” while spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel insisted the campaign is strictly military and rejects any narrative inflaming ethnic divisions. Opposition’s Military Strategy and Messaging The SPLA-IO warned civilians to avoid barracks, checkpoints and convoys, declaring these assets…

Fresh Clashes Rock Unity State On early Sunday, heavy artillery hit opposition-held Tong and Pakur west of Rubkona near Bentiu, signaling a sudden escalation in Unity State’s unstable north. Residents in Shilak reported dawn explosions, recounting hours of shelling audible across Bentiu’s neighborhoods. Voices from Rubkona’s Streets “We woke up to loud explosions from Tong,” a Shilak resident said, requesting anonymity for safety. Another local described families remaining indoors as blasts intensified. Security sources linked fire toward Tong to positions inside Bentiu, while rounds targeting Pakur appeared to originate from the SSPDF 4th Infantry Division base in Baar. Humanitarian Stakes…

Deadly Flashpoint in Budi County On 29 December 2025, Ngauro in Budi County turned deadly when gunmen stormed an artisanal gold site, killing at least sixteen civilians. The shockwaves revived an old question: is the country’s mining boom advancing national welfare or eroding constitutional safeguards? Article 24 of the Transitional Constitution guarantees life and dignity, while Article 25 enshrines personal liberty. When civilians are massacred in a commercial zone that the state is meant to regulate, lawyers argue the breach is constitutional, not merely criminal (local bar association). Constitutional Promises Tested Articles 169 and 170 assign land and mineral ownership…

Shifting Allegiances in Jonglei Local officials in Akobo County say more than one thousand fighters formerly aligned with the South Sudan Opposition Alliance have joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Army–In Opposition after a weekend rally. The gathering, convened by SPLA-IO’s Third Brigade, drew soldiers, police, National Security Service personnel and SSOA officers, underscoring fluid loyalties in Jonglei State. Reasons Behind the Defection Brigadier General Much Dak Banang, the SSOA commander for Greater Lou, told the crowd he rejected a recent Juba directive to integrate alliance forces into the national army, the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces. Banang argued the 2018…

Border Tensions Resurface in Unity State Nyuelnyuel, a dusty settlement three kilometers south of Sudan, has long symbolised South Sudan’s unfinished peace. Jointly held by government troops and opposition fighters since 2021, the base has now returned to the headlines after reports of renewed hostilities on Saturday night. Local commanders confirm the area, sometimes called Kubri Jamus, remains strategically perched along oil roads and informal trade routes, making any confrontation there a potential spark for wider unrest. Inside Saturday Night’s Fighting According to SPLA-IO spokesperson Major Kerbino Yai Pazale, government forces attacked from two directions at 8:30 p.m., only to…