Author: The South Sudan Herald

Dry-Season Migration in Lakes State More than 200 chiefs, youth leaders and officials met in Rumbek to chart safe dry-season cattle routes across the Upper and Lower Toch wetlands. The two-day forum, backed by Peace Canal and Toch, closed with a consensus to prioritise coexistence during the looming migration. Community-Led Peace Framework State Minister of Local Government Mabor Meen Wol said participants fixed clear rules on grazing, water access and dispute settlement, allowing communities to ‘move together, stay together’ under one harmonised code. Officials explained that Gelweng youth and traditional chiefs will monitor compliance daily, while the state government acts…

Presidency affirms 2026 election date In Juba this week, South Sudan’s Presidency publicly closed the door on any further transition extensions, anchoring the political calendar to national elections slated for December 2026. Minister of Presidential Affairs Africano Monday described the decision as ’emphatic’ and said it embodies the collective will of signatories to the 2018 peace accord. Legal framework under review for polls A dedicated committee will draft precise amendments to the Transitional Constitution of 2011, then circulate them among RTGoNU, SPLM, IO, SOW, SPLM-FDS and OPP leaders for consensus. Observers note that codifying electoral rules early could limit post-poll…

Diplomatic Appeal Resonates in Juba Kenya’s ambassador to South Sudan, Jeremy Nyamaso Ndola, used Kenya’s 62nd Jamhuri Day reception in Juba to urge governments, investors and civil groups to prolong their goodwill toward the South Sudan peace roadmap, framing stability as indispensable for the country’s social and economic future. Quoting UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Ndola reminded guests that peace is “the most powerful force for a better future”. He argued that the force is within reach if stakeholders act jointly, echoing previous calls issued during IGAD and African Union briefings. Peace as Catalyst for Prosperity The envoy linked security to…

CSE Setback in Western Bahr el Ghazal At least twelve senior four candidates in Western Bahr el Ghazal state were absent during South Sudan’s Certificate of Secondary Education papers, an official confirmed. Examination director Donato Ugali Zambe reported that 3,394 students had registered, yet logistical glitches eliminated opportunities for the dozen stranded learners. Paper Shortages and Travel Barriers Zambe cited insufficient English, Geography and History papers at certain centres and unexpected transport delays while moving documents to satellite towns. He explained that supervisors improvised schedules, but some candidates could not wait, especially in remote communities bordering former front lines. Post-Conflict…

Diplomatic Friction Over UNMISS Rotation Last week’s exchange between Juba and Washington exposed simmering mistrust surrounding the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS. Accusations of obstruction met swift denials, underscoring how sensitive peacekeeper rotations remain four years after the Revitalised Agreement. Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba insisted that a list of seventeen points was never meant as a barricade. “They reflect our concerns, not conditions,” he told reporters in Juba, signalling that the government wants procedure, not paralysis. Technical Talks Keep Troop Movements on Track According to the Foreign Ministry’s ledger, 1,143 peacekeepers from Ghana, Nepal, Bangladesh,…

Kenya’s Visa-Free Magnet for Capital Kenya has rolled out a continent-wide visa-free entry, inviting African entrepreneurs to invest in sectors from tech to agribusiness. Ambassador Emmy Ndola told guests in Juba that Nairobi’s ‘open door’ would accelerate growth and knit tighter economic ties across borders (Eye Radio, 12 Dec 2025). Central African Perspectives on Opportunity The policy arrives as capital from Brazzaville to Bangui searches for predictable markets. Congolese start-ups, buoyed by government programmes encouraging diversification, see Kenya’s larger consumer base and financial infrastructure as a logical springboard for scaling regional brands without heavy administrative barriers. Linking Peace and Prosperity…

Tonj East Visit Signals Warrap State Peace Drive A senior Warrap State delegation travelled across dusty tracks to Tonj East last Saturday, signaling a renewed governmental push to anchor peace, security and tangible development in this historically restive corner of South Sudan. Led by Security Advisor John Mayiik Bath, Cabinet Affairs Minister Safarino Phillip Bazia and Lieutenant General Garang Mabil Deng, the mission blended political heft and military credibility to reassure citizens of steadfast support from Kuajok. Wunlit Accord’s Legacy Resonates in Tonj East In Wunlit Payam the visitors paused at the monument to the groundbreaking 1999 Wunlit Peace Conference,…

Forum Highlights in Yambio The three-day Commissioners’ Forum convened at the Women Empowerment Center in Yambio offered Western Equatoria State a rare moment of collective stock-taking. County chiefs from all ten counties reviewed governance priorities, traded field lessons, and searched for a common language on development planning. Acting governor Justin Joseph Marona closed the forum by framing commissioners as “front-line drivers” of Vision 2040, a roadmap he said draws inspiration from Agenda 2063 and South Sudan’s National Development Plan. Linking Counties to National Vision Marona reminded delegates that Vision 2040 seeks a peaceful, democratic, and inclusive South Sudan grounded in…

Twenty Years On: Charter Under Sharp Review During a packed lecture in Juba, Dr. Barnaba Korina labelled South Sudan’s 2005 constitution “outdated and sterile”, arguing it cannot steer a modern state. The Vision Centre for Legal Studies organised the talk to mark two decades of the transitional charter. Delayed Gazette Releases Fuel Legal Uncertainty The lawyer reminded listeners that no citizen can plead ignorance of laws that were never published. He said some acts remain un-gazetted for more than two years, handing defendants an easy escape and weakening confidence in the justice system. Push for a Dedicated Constitutional Court Citing…

Disputed Extended Presidency Meeting On 10 December 2025, President Salva Kiir convened an extended Presidency session with coalition leaders to decide the fate of South Sudan’s long-delayed transition. The gathering endorsed a roadmap allowing elections by 22 December 2026, even if some reforms remain unfinished, a move officials described as “the only realistic path to a popular mandate” (Africano Mande Gedima). Machar Allies Cite Exclusion Hours later, the SPLM-IO faction led by interim chairman Oyet Nathaniel released a communiqué rejecting every resolution. They argued that neither suspended First Vice-President Dr Riek Machar, currently in confinement, nor any of his representatives…