Author: The South Sudan Herald

Nimule Court Poised for Landmark Ruling On 19 December 2025, the High Court sitting in Nimule will announce its sentence in a case that has gripped Eastern Equatoria: a 21-year-old man admitted to raping and killing a seven-year-old girl. Details of the February 16 Crime Investigators say the man lured the child to Anyama riverside on 16 February 2025, assaulted her, and used a knife to end her life, sparking outrage across communities already concerned about rising gender-based violence. Confession and Applicable Statutes During trial sessions, the accused openly confessed. The bench framed charges under South Sudan’s Penal Code 2008—section…

High hopes for a homegrown forum Over seventy representatives of political parties, civil society and academia gathered in Juba, expecting frank exchanges on the revitalized peace deal. Organisers branded the meeting a “homegrown remedy,” arguing that South Sudan could ease external dependence by sitting its actors around one table. Agenda roadblock emerges Minutes before deliberations, delegates from the SPLM-IG and allied groups walked out, citing procedural concerns about the draft agenda. They insisted certain topics were already resolved by the extended presidency and, therefore, should not be reopened for public debate. Facilitators seek middle ground Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of…

Transfer unlocks judicial process After nearly two years in National Security detention, sixteen suspects were driven to Malakia Police Station on 11 December 2025, lawyer Godfery Victor Bullen told Eye Radio. The move allows investigators to open a criminal file and begin standard judicial procedures. Allegations of Central Bank losses Authorities suspect the group, including staff from several commercial institutions, of orchestrating illegal transactions that siphoned an undisclosed sum from the Central Bank in 2023. Specific figures remain under seal while police gather bank records and digital trails. Lawyer praises coordinated effort Bullen thanked National Security leaders and the Justice…

Sovereignty at the Forefront South Sudan’s foreign affairs minister Monday Semaya Kumba told diplomats that closing UNMISS hubs in Wau and Bentiu is “non-negotiable”, framing the demand as a basic test of national sovereignty. Juba has already consented to shutting seven smaller sites but insists the two strategic capitals, both scarred by past violence, must revert fully to state control without delay. UNMISS Drawdown Timeline UNMISS is repatriating thousands of troops after the Security Council ordered a gradual reduction. Between 28 November and 10 December 2025, 1,143 peacekeepers left; another 2,500 are scheduled to depart by early January 2026, according…

Seasonal Security Surge in Jou Market Extra police units now patrol Jou Market in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, after a state directive aimed at curbing theft ahead of Christmas. Vendors Applaud Police Presence Vendor Mohammed Saleh says incidents had surged: ‘People dressed well were stealing our goods. Today, patrols guard every alley; losses are down’ (Radio Tamazuj). Economic Benefits Emerge Saleh adds that steady policing is nudging commodity prices lower, a rare relief in a town where transport costs often fuel spikes. Calls for Continued Support Trader Musa Ibrahim echoes the sentiment: ‘Stealing has stopped. We just hope…

Juba-Khartoum Diplomacy Intensifies A South Sudanese team led by presidential security advisor Tut Gatluak landed in Port Sudan for rare face-to-face talks with Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, seeking to calm tensions sparked by recent troop movements. Sudan’s state agency reported that Gatluak carried a written message from President Salva Kiir, underscoring what officials described as “brotherly relations” centred on energy, trade and economic cooperation. Heglig Oilfield at the Centre of Negotiations The meeting follows a security arrangement that positioned South Sudanese forces inside Heglig, a contested oil hub in Sudan’s West Kordofan producing up to 100,000 barrels a day for…

Record-Breaking Debut in Luanda South Sudan’s emerging sprinters and distance runners earned top-seven finishes at the 4th African Youth Games in Luanda, confirming the nation’s growing athletics profile (Standard Zone News). Agoth Thon Dhuor Deng clocked 51.40 seconds in the U17 400 m, while Siham Hassan Osman Terab and David Ochoro Okumang rewrote national U17 records in the 1,500 m and 3,000 m respectively. Grassroots Academies Power Progress Venus Star Academy in Juba, once a modest school program, now produces some of the region’s fastest quarter-milers, coaches say. Further east, Imagine Athletics Academy in Chukudum nurtures endurance specialists on dusty…

Juba Glitters as STA Awards Return The Freedom Hall pulsed with lights on 13 December as the STA Awards 2025 gathered South Sudan’s brightest musicians, filmmakers and fashion designers. Organisers hailed the ceremony as “a barometer of national creativity,” noting record attendance and a growing international media presence. Young Boy’s Award Haul Rising rap sensation Young Boy dominated proceedings, collecting Best Overall Artist, Best Overall Male Artist and Hip Hop Artist of the Year. Each announcement triggered waves of applause, confirming his rapid ascent since his breakout single “Nuo” topped local charts in early 2024. “These awards belong to every…

Emergency Haven for Market Survivors Charred stalls still line the Nyakuron Market plot, yet hope surfaced in Juba City Hall last Friday. City Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka and University Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Mayom Deng agreed to host the displaced traders in the university’s Custom Market grounds for up to twenty-four months. Officials Outline Shared Responsibility “We empathize with their situation,” Mayor Wani Swaka told reporters, stressing municipal duty to restore livelihoods while respecting campus property rights (Eye Radio, 2025). Professor Deng noted it was the institution’s first public statement on the 1 December blaze, affirming that compassion and legality…

Night Assault in Juba Luka Mathen Toukpiny Luk, representative for Cueibet County, was gunned down around 10 p.m. on Tuesday inside his Gudele compound, shortly after returning from evening prayers. He succumbed to injuries at a nearby hospital before midnight, family sources confirmed. Relatives stated that unidentified assailants breached the gate and opened fire without warning. According to his wife, Nyan Akolde, two suspects from Aweil and Gogrial are in custody, while two accomplices remain at large as security agents pursue leads. Profile of an Independent Voice Mathen entered the Council of States under the 2018 revitalized peace accord on…