Author: The South Sudan Herald

Legal Storm Brews in Baliet A tense standoff between Baliet Senior Secondary School and County Commissioner Joseph Deng Angou is heading to the courtroom, testing the boundaries of local governance and educational welfare in Upper Nile State. The school accuses the commissioner of withholding salaries and misdirecting humanitarian funds, while he labels the charges “baseless” and prepares countersuits. Salary Arrears at the Center Teachers say they have not seen wages worth SSP 40 million despite a December 31 deadline set in a formal demand letter. Union representatives argue that unpaid labor since mid-2025 violates South Sudan’s Employment Act and undermines…

An Appeal Echoes Across Juba The U.S. Embassy opened 2026 urging South Sudan to pay civil servants and security forces from its oil income, framing the request as a path to stability (Radio Tamazuj). Many citizens welcomed the tone, yet observers immediately questioned whether polite exhortation can shift long-standing political incentives. Revenue Windfall, Empty Pay Packets Crude exports supply the lion’s share of government income, but wages often arrive months late. Classrooms lack desks, clinics lack medicines, and roads remain unfinished, despite years of steady production. Economists argue that revenue management, not resource scarcity, lies at the heart of the…

Governor’s Visit Sparks Swift Releases Aweil State Prison opened its gates on Thursday as Governor Charles Dut Akol ordered the release of about eighty inmates, marking the region’s customary New Year amnesty. Focus on Women and Juveniles State Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare Tereza Aker Malual said she personally saw women, girls and boys regain freedom, some after three years in custody without judgment. She plans to return to the facility to screen additional minor cases that could benefit from similar clemency, insisting “no one should be jailed in place of another.” Overcrowding Pressures Highlighted Police spokesman Lt.…

South Sudan Edges Toward 2026 Ballot For the first time in years, Juba’s transition appears to be moving. By confirming on 10 December that national polls can run under the Transitional Constitution, leaders decoupled elections from unfinished reforms and set December 2026 as a realistic, if tight, political deadline. Using 2010 Constituencies: A Necessary Compromise The National Elections Commission opted to recycle the constituencies used in 2010. Electoral law blocks boundary changes inside twelve months of voting, and without a new census no credible map exists, making the legacy districts the only legally sound alternative. Still, reverting to 2010 sizes…

Remembering a Distinguished Voice The calm baritone of Emmanuel Joseph Akile guided millions through Eye Radio’s Dawn Show, dissecting policy and community issues with rare composure. His passing on 30 December 2025 left listeners and colleagues grieving a broadcaster whose interviews often set the day’s national agenda (Eye Radio, 31 Dec 2025). CEPO’s Commitment to Recognition Within hours of tributes, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization vowed to immortalise Akile’s craft. The civil-society group now confirms an annual Emmanuel Joseph Akile Journalist Award, positioning it as South Sudan’s most coveted media prize and anchoring it to the anniversary of his…

Grief shadows the newsroom As fireworks faded over Juba, Eye Radio staff gathered in hushed tones, mourning two pillars lost in 2025. Reporter Charles Wote died in Kampala on 15 March while seeking treatment; talk-show host Emmanuel Joseph Akile followed on 30 December after a sudden illness, leaving colleagues stunned. A funding cliff edge The twin tragedies struck as Eye Radio wrestled with an abrupt withdrawal of donor support that almost silenced its 24-hour broadcasts in January 2025. Management asked journalists to work for free, choosing public service over paychecks while equipment aged and transmitters flickered. Diplomatic lifeline keeps signal…

Who is Leek Mamer Leek? Leek Mamer Leek, a youthful community leader from Bor County, has become the centre of a tense national debate. Supporters hail him as a defender of villages and cattle; detractors brand him a destabilising commander with hidden rebel ties. Origins of the Red Belt Militia The Red Belt emerged, according to Leek, after repeated cattle raids and the collapse of local policing. Unlike classic insurgencies, the group claims no political manifesto, instead vowing to patrol grazing corridors and protect civilians where state reach is thin. Alleged Recruitment Attempts Leek’s recorded testimony alleges that journalist-turned-political-actor Mading…

Festive Season Security in Duk County What began as routine celebrations across Duk County quickly shifted into unease. Local officials report a noticeable uptick in violent incidents over the Christmas and New Year stretch, reversing earlier hopes for a calm end to 2023. Timeline of Holiday Attacks County Commissioner John Chatim Ruei outlined three attacks within a week. On 24 December, assailants stormed a cattle camp near Duk Padiet, injuring a herder and seizing 13 head of cattle. Six days later 24 more animals vanished, and the evening saw armed men ambush travellers outside the town, killing one man. ‘Residents…

Oil Revenue at the Heart of Public Expectations South Sudan’s budget still leans heavily on crude exports, yet arrears to teachers, medics and troops stretch into months. Residents in Juba say the missed paychecks hurt schools and clinics more than any rebel skirmish, fueling questions about how petrodollars circulate. U.S. Embassy’s New Year Call for Accountability In its 31 December message, the U.S. Embassy expressed hope that 2026 will mark a budget pivot, with salaries and basic services ranking first in allocations. Diplomats urged leaders to pair dialogue with transparent bookkeeping to reassure citizens and donors alike. Governance Reforms Under…

Juba Church Land Row Gains Fresh Momentum Hope flickered in Juba as Christ Church Nakasongola and the Transitional National Legislative Assembly reopened dialogue over the contested plot beside the Dr. John Garang Mausoleum. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba tasked First Deputy Speaker Ambrose Lomin with chairing a December 22 meeting, marking the highest-level intervention since church walls were reportedly razed mid-2023. Parliament Mediation Seen as Olive Branch Rev. Michael Kenyi Lemi told journalists the assembly acknowledged congregants’ pain and voiced commitment to an ‘amicable solution’ that avoids more demolitions. Deputy Speaker Lomin allegedly reassured clergy that officials ‘understand your suffering’ and…