Author: The South Sudan Herald

Northern Bahr el Ghazal Budget Vote: What Passed The Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Legislative Assembly passed a SSP 40.5 billion budget for the 2025/2026 fiscal year after its third reading on Tuesday, according to the legislature. The proposal was tabled by the State Minister of Finance, Dut Akot, and adopted after deliberations among lawmakers, the Assembly said. Appropriation Bill Process: Speaker to Governor Following approval, the Appropriation Bill is set to be forwarded to the Speaker, who will transmit it to the Governor for assent and enactment into law, the Assembly indicated. After the vote, Information Committee Chairperson Garang…

Tambura County Incident Sparks Local Anxiety TAMBURA — A South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldier was reportedly abducted by armed personnel from the Central African Republic (CAR) while collecting firewood near the border, residents in Source Yubu say. The report has increased anxiety in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State. What Local Sources Say Happened at the Border Local accounts say the incident happened on Tuesday, 27 January, along the porous South Sudan–CAR frontier. Sources told Sudans Post the soldier entered a contested border area to cut grass and gather firewood, and was seized by CAR forces. Residents speaking anonymously…

RJMEC Warning on South Sudan Elections Timeline With less than a year left before South Sudan’s planned elections, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) says the country remains far from the minimum conditions for a credible vote. The assessment appears in RJMEC’s quarterly report covering October 1 to December 31, 2025. The document highlights a deteriorating security environment, mounting humanitarian needs and deepening political tensions that RJMEC says could undermine the 2018 peace agreement. Security Sector Reforms Still Stalled, Report Says In its latest review of the 2018 peace agreement, RJMEC identifies stalled security, legal and political reforms…

Torit leadership forum puts local governance in focus Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore has called on county commissioners, city mayors and local administrators to take the lead in grassroots peacebuilding, arguing that lasting stability begins at community level (Standard Zone News). Speaking on Thursday at the opening of a one-day leadership forum in Torit, Governor Louis Lobong Lojore said local leaders are the first point of contact between government and citizens, with a central role in preventing conflict, fostering unity and rebuilding confidence in state institutions (Standard Zone News). ‘Face of government’: a message to commissioners and mayors…

Clemency Letter Grants Amnesty to 18 Individuals South Sudan President Salva Kiir has granted executive clemency and amnesty to Red Belt Group leader Leek Mamer Leek and 17 other members, according to a letter dated 21 January seen by Radio Tamazuj (Radio Tamazuj). The letter frames the decision within a national unity and reconciliation approach, stating that the beneficiaries showed willingness to disarm and desist from armed violence against the Government (Radio Tamazuj). Security Context: SSPDF Warning on Red Belt Threat In October last year, SSPDF Chief Gen. Paul Nang publicly described the Red Belt Group as a major national…

African Union urges restraint in South Sudan The Chairperson of the African Union Commission has appealed for de-escalation in South Sudan and for all stakeholders to uphold the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, commonly known as the R-ARCSS. The call comes as the African Union frames the peace deal as the central reference point for stabilising the country and guiding the transitional process toward lasting peace and national reconciliation. 2018 R-ARCSS: who signed the South Sudan peace deal The R-ARCSS was signed on September 12, 2018, between the incumbent government…

Nairobi’s bid for inclusive South Sudan dialogue Kenya is pressing for an inclusive set of peace talks in South Sudan, seeking to gather all parties and stakeholders into one process that could culminate in elections, according to diplomatic sources cited by Radio Tamazuj. The proposal, sources said, would bring together the government in Juba and opposition groups, widening participation beyond a single negotiating channel while keeping the focus on an inclusive political settlement (Radio Tamazuj). Tumaini Initiative returns as a consultative framework Diplomatic sources said the idea was discussed during high-level talks in Nairobi in the presence of Tumaini Initiative…

Jonglei State fighting in Uror County The Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) says its forces inflicted significant losses on the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and allied troops during clashes in Jonglei State. The reported fighting is part of a wider rise in hostilities in the area. SPLA-IO statement alleges Pathai village burning In a statement issued on Wednesday, SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel alleged that joint forces loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Government (SPLM-IG) burned Pathai village on Monday evening. He said the alleged move was linked to preparations for an attack on SPLA-IO…

EU raises alarm over South Sudan violence The European Union said it is deeply concerned by a recent escalation of violence in South Sudan and urged national leaders to halt hostilities. The bloc called for a return to dialogue to fully implement the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement. EU ambassador’s message at Juba federalism workshop Ambassador Pelle Enarsson, Head of the EU Delegation to South Sudan, delivered the message on Wednesday in Juba. He spoke during a federalism workshop organised by the National Constitutional Review Commission, widely known as the NCRC. Dialogue and political agreements seen as key Enarsson argued that…

Digital payments for ID and passport services The Director of Civil Registry and Immigration says payments for passports and nationality-related services have moved to a digital approach, with citizens required to pay fees directly into the National Revenue Authority’s (NRA) bank account (Eye Radio). Major General Elia Costa describes the shift as an administrative change in how government revenue is collected for these services, with the stated goal of making transactions clearer and faster for both citizens and the state (Eye Radio). Office of the President directive cited by officials Major General Elia Costa links the update to a directive…