Author: The South Sudan Herald

Military Rise of Wilson Deng Wilson Deng Kuoirot joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Army during the liberation war and advanced rapidly. By independence in 2011 he was Deputy Chief of General Staff for Operations, coordinating security at a volatile time. Sports Diplomacy Legacy In 2015 Deng surprised many by founding South Sudan’s National Olympic Committee, arguing that sport could unify a fractured nation. His committee secured International Olympic Committee recognition the same year, enabling the country’s first Olympic team to march in Rio 2016. Ambassadorial Tenure in South Africa Appointed ambassador to South Africa in 2020, Deng cultivated diaspora ties…

A Nationwide First Step South Sudan’s Ministry of Health has confirmed an agreement with the World Health Organization to lead the country’s inaugural baseline assessment of cancer. Dr. Albino Amum Awin described the move as a decisive stride toward data-driven oncology policy. Mapping the Hidden Burden The study will catalogue incidence, morbidity, mortality and prevalence across every state. Officials believe only robust numbers can illuminate the true scale of the disease and guide investment toward populations most at risk. Auditing Care on the Ground Investigators will examine diagnostic capacity, treatment availability, staffing levels and the condition of essential equipment. “This…

Constitutional Roots of Diya Blood compensation, or diya, sits at the heart of South Sudan’s constitutional and penal framework. Legal scholar Monyluak Aguer says Article 206 anchors the practice, giving bereaved families a sanctioned route to seek redress after homicide convictions. The Courtroom Choice: Execution, Diya, Forgiveness Once guilt is confirmed, judges consult the “guardians of the blood”. Aguer notes they may demand qisas, accept diya, or offer forgiveness, a triad that can suspend the gallows within minutes of a verdict. If compensation or pardon is chosen, the court converts the matter into a public right, transferring ownership of punishment…

Calm Returns After Tense Standoff South Sudanese engineers trickled back into Heglig this week, signaling the first concrete step toward restarting the border oilfield that briefly fell to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces earlier this month (Radio Tamazuj). Production stopped after Sudanese Armed Forces withdrew, but a three-party accord now tasks South Sudan’s military with safeguarding installations while rival Sudanese factions stand down. Heglig Oilfield’s Regional Importance Heglig straddles the Sudan–South Sudan frontier and feeds a 1,600-kilometre pipeline that channels crude from Unity fields to Port Sudan, making the site a lifeline for both governments’ budgets and a barometer of wider…

Diplomatic Call Underscores Unity On Saturday, Foreign Ministers Abdisalam Abdi Ali of Somalia and Monday Semaya Kenneth Kumba of South Sudan held a telephone call that ended with a clear message: Juba will not recognise Somaliland and continues to respect Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. The Sudanese minister restated what his office later called an “unequivocal rejection of any acts that erode Somalia’s borders”, aligning South Sudan with the African Union stance and distancing Juba from Israel’s Boxing Day declaration. Israel’s Boxing Day Surprise On 26 December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced recognition of Somaliland as an independent…

Security Jitters Grip Fertile County Mundri East, a fertile corner of Western Equatoria, finds itself on edge. Unregulated checkpoints, cattle herders crossing borders and simmering land disputes have nudged farmers from their fields and traders from the roads, shaking a county still healing from years of wider national conflict. Border Frictions and Checkpoints Residents in Jambo Payam recount confrontations with Nyangwara neighbours and the sudden rise of informal roadblocks. They say these flashpoints disrupt produce flows, erode trust between communities and stoke rumours that can ignite wider unrest if left unmanaged. Women Voice Harassment Concerns Anonymous women representatives allege mistreatment…

Legal Battle in Massachusetts Court A coalition of South Sudanese nationals and immigrant-rights advocates filed suit in Massachusetts, hours before Christmas, to block the U.S. move to end Temporary Protected Status on 6 January 2026. Plaintiffs African Communities Together and four named TPS holders say Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s 6 November order breaks federal law and defies the spirit of the TPS statute. Arguments Highlight Ongoing Conflict Court filings depict South Sudan as still gripped by armed clashes, food insecurity, and mass displacement, challenging Washington’s claim that conditions have improved. The complaint quotes United Nations reports and the U.S.…

Heightened Holiday Security in Juba Uniformed officers fanned out across the capital on Christmas Eve, sealing off known trouble spots and conducting identity checks to protect revellers, police confirmed. Operation Details and Initial Findings Major General James Madut Ngor said 100 suspects were detained for alleged disorderly conduct, narcotics possession and carrying machetes and blunt weapons (Eye Radio). He noted that the sweep brought together police, military police and specialised units working under a single command to curb seasonal spikes in street crime. Arrest of Sixteen Uniformed Personnel Sixteen serving soldiers were among those arrested at night checkpoints. “No one…

Northern Bahr el Ghazal Gets New Leadership Thousands converged in Aweil on 23 December to welcome Governor Charles Madut Akol, officially ushered into office after his recent appointment by President Salva Kiir. The atmosphere blended celebration with cautious expectation. Minister Ateny Champions Integrity Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny seized the podium, urging the new administration to anchor decisions in integrity and transparency. “Many lobby for power only to undermine it,” he warned, recalling political upsets witnessed across South Sudan. He advised tight teamwork within the state cabinet and inclusive consultations with chiefs, youth and women to safeguard Northern Bahr el…

Historic Seat Cut Looms South Sudan’s political stage is bracing for its sharpest makeover since independence. The National Elections Commission has resolved to resurrect the 2010 electoral map, a move that could trim the national legislature from 332 lawmakers to 204 after the 2026 polls. Old Constituencies Resurrected The commission confirmed that voting will rely on the 102 geographical constituencies created for the 2010 election, alongside an equal number of proportional-representation slots. Observers say the framework revives a leaner two-hundred-seat chamber last seen before war interrupted constitutional progress. Legal Timelines Triggered Section 41 of the amended Elections Act obliges the…