Author: The South Sudan Herald

State Gift Underlines Commitment to Learning Governor Louis Lobong has confirmed that the former UNMISS compound in Torit will become the new home of Torit University of Science and Technology. The decision follows the closure of the UN field office, freeing solid buildings and utilities ideal for a fledgling campus. Upgrading Infrastructure Without Starting from Scratch Vice-Chancellor Professor Pasquale Tiberio Moilinga says the compound’s classrooms, dormitories and power links cut years off the construction timetable. He remains realistic, noting that some equipment disappeared during vacancy, yet calls the site “a blessing we cannot squander”. Relief for Families and Regional Skills…

Festive Surge Tests Hospital Resilience Juba Teaching Hospital’s accident and emergency department handled 162 patients between 24 and 25 December, stretching staff and supplies. Assistant Medical Director Dr Micheal Yoana Tangun said the influx began on Christmas Eve and peaked after midnight mass services. Road Crashes Lead the List Hospital records show 70 cases on 24 December, mostly road-traffic injuries involving motorcycles and minibuses. Christmas Day added almost 100 more victims, including the only fatality, a passenger hurt in a collision on the Juba-Yei road. Assault Cases Highlight Social Strain Doctors also treated stab wounds, panga cuts and bruises linked…

Governor Jacob Dollar’s Christmas Message In Malakal’s cathedral, Governor Jacob Dollar Ruot used Christmas liturgy to call on Upper Nile’s diverse communities to ‘start a new chapter’ of mutual forgiveness and peaceful coexistence, framing the festive season as an opportunity to reset strained political and ethnic relations. He thanked President Salva Kiir for ‘guiding us this far’ and prayed for continued wisdom, aligning the state’s quest for calm with national leadership priorities while avoiding partisan tones. Forgiveness Framed as Path to Development Dollar linked harmony directly to tangible services, reminding citizens that roads, clinics, schools and clean water cannot reach…

Christmas Peace Message in Juba Christmas morning in Juba found Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony standing before worshippers at St. James Bari Parish, blending civic duty with faith. He opened his homily-like remarks with a simple charge: “Let peace remain our guiding light,” framing the holiday as a mirror for national aspirations. Call for Unity and Generosity Adil reminded congregants that the strength of Central Equatoria grows from unity, urging families to practice love and sincerity beyond Christmas liturgies. He appealed for generosity toward vulnerable neighbours, arguing that social healing is inseparable from economic recovery in the state’s post-conflict journey. Church…

Christmas Call for Unity in Juba At a Christmas mass in Juba, US Ambassador Michael J. Adler urged South Sudanese citizens and leaders to turn 2026 into a landmark year of peace, dialogue and reconciliation. His appeal came before President Salva Kiir, clergy, diplomats and hundreds of worshippers, underscoring the weight Washington places on ending the young nation’s cycles of violence. Stability First, Development Next Adler reminded the congregation that no reform or investment will stick without security, framing stability as the indispensable platform for economic revival and social services. Analysts in Juba agree; they link inflation, food shortages and…

Festive Season Fighting Shocks Jonglei While Christmas hymns echoed across South Sudan, gunfire again rattled Waat, the headquarters of Nyirol County. Residents described a tense morning as South Sudan People’s Defence Forces exchanged fire with SPLA-IO and White Army fighters, shattering the holiday calm. Yakani’s Appeal To Field Commanders Community Empowerment for Progress Organization director Edmund Yakani swiftly released a Christmas message, pleading for an immediate ceasefire. “The military route to political disagreements is painful, disastrous and dangerous,” he said, urging commanders from all camps to silence their guns and protect civilians. Humanitarian Stakes Amid Dry Season Yakani cautioned that…

Coordinated Christmas Sweep On Christmas Eve, Juba’s joint security task force moved through crowded neighborhoods, arresting 103 individuals accused of planning to disrupt public celebrations, Major General James Madut Ngor confirmed. The operation combined regular police, military police and intelligence officers, drawing on what one commander called “real-time community tips” to map suspected hotspots across the capital. Soldiers Among the Detainees Sixteen of those held wear national uniforms, General Madut stated, adding that any officer proven guilty will face court-martial to reassure citizens that “the law spares no rank.” Observers note that previous holiday disturbances often involved rogue uniformed personnel,…

Teen Shooting Shocks Lafon County Residents of Marguna Payam, Lafon County, were jolted this week after a 14-year-old herder, Isidor Arun, died from a single gunshot while tending cattle with friends. County commissioner Orupi David Uywek described the event as “a heartbreaking accident” that has unsettled normally quiet grazing lands. How the Incident Unfolded Officials report that a rifle carried by 16-year-old Oputo Otong Muna discharged unexpectedly, killing Arun instantly. Eyewitnesses told local chiefs the teens were guarding livestock against raiders and wild animals, a common practice that often places firearms in youthful hands. Escape and Ongoing Manhunt Muna was…

Drone strike rattles Abyei peace mission A drone strike on 13 December killed six United Nations peacekeepers and wounded nine others at Kadugli, South Kordofan. UNISFA described the incident as “a grave violation of international law,” warning that such assaults jeopardise its fragile mandate in the Abyei border region. Strategic withdrawal from Kadugli logistics hub After a rapid security review, the mission air-lifted all staff and selected NGO partners out of Kadugli over the weekend, closing a compound that had housed logisticians, medics and engineers since 2011. The decision ends nearly thirteen years of continuous support operations. Regional security and…

Warrap’s Sudden Inferno Witnesses say the mid-December harmattan winds fanned a small grassfire into a fast-moving wall of flames near Ajak Kuac village, Tonj North County. Within minutes, nine women foraging for thatch were surrounded. Local administrator Kuol Wol Jok recounts that five women succumbed before help arrived, while four suffered burns now treated at Kuajok Civil Hospital. Voices from Tonj North Villager Aluel Mayen, her hands bandaged, describes hearing a ‘roaring like rain on iron roofs’ as the grass ignited. She blames no one, noting that traditional land-clearing fires are common during the dry season. County authorities confirm the…