Author: The South Sudan Herald

Confusion on Gumbo Shirkat Road Early on Thursday, motorists along the dusty entrance to Gumbo Shirkat heard a volley of shots. Within minutes, police sirens converged on the scene, revealing an unplanned clash between two arms of South Sudan’s security apparatus. Deputy Police Spokesperson Major Lith Winston Simon later told reporters the gunfire stemmed from “a pure miscommunication that lasted only moments”. Inside the CID Manhunt Plainclothes Criminal Investigations Department officers had been tracking a suspect linked to a 4 September motorcycle-theft homicide in Hai Prisons. Intelligence from a first arrest earlier this week led detectives to the second suspect’s…

Tumaini Initiative Faces Another Delay Launched in 2023 under Kenya’s facilitation, the Tumaini Initiative aims to integrate opposition factions that remained outside South Sudan’s 2018 Revitalised Agreement. Three adjournments have tested public confidence, making the recent pause the most scrutinised so far. Government Delegate Explains Suspension Addressing parliament in Juba on 9 September, Hon. Rebecca Joshua Okwaci said the hold-out United People’s Alliance tabled a “purely military” hierarchy during Nairobi talks, pledging to intensify the struggle even as negotiators searched for compromise. She argued the unexpected stance created “a major challenge” that forced facilitators to suspend the round indefinitely, marking…

World Bank-Backed Resilience Drive South Sudan has reached a new milestone in its battle against recurrent flooding after signing a $9.98 million agreement with the United Nations Office for Project Services. The deal, financed by the World Bank’s Regional Climate Resilience Program, focuses on water security and flood defenses across vulnerable communities. Targeted Investments Across States The one-year plan channels funds into five states, tailoring each intervention to specific local pressures. From dyke repairs in refugee-hosting Maban County to hand-pump rehabilitation in Eastern Equatoria, the blueprint prioritises quick, visible gains that can reduce displacement and disease before next year’s rains…

Release Ends Lengthy Detention After 134 days behind bars, Lakes State authorities quietly released MPs Kaman Makuei and Ater Akolde alongside youth leader Mandela Machiek, signaling a cautious easing of tensions inside South Sudan’s political arena. The trio, all senior members of the opposition SPLM-IO, had been held since March under accusations of online incitement after criticizing air-strikes and clashes in Upper Nile’s Nasir County. Government’s Position on Public Order Acting Information Minister William Koji Kerjok said on Eye Radio, “The Lakes State government does not tolerate political or social crises that threaten stability.” He added that those freed should…

Bridging Lecture Halls and Newsrooms Silence fell as seventy-two stairs led the class from lecture hall to live studio. Deputy dean Delpina Roba explained that the university’s dormant FM facility leaves learning half-finished. “Theory is vital, but the microphone tests character,” she told the eager group. Inside The Radio Community Network The Radio Community runs nine stations broadcasting in multiple local tongues. Program grids prioritise peace messages, maternal health tips and market prices. CEO Chris Marol described the model as “journalism that meets villagers before rumours do”, stressing simplicity, credibility and proximity. Students Confront Real-World Challenges Rose Kaku left the…

Stadium Vision Gains Fresh Momentum The South Sudan Football Federation has revived its decade-old plan for a national stadium after meeting Molobur Development Association leaders in Juba this week, sources inside the federation confirmed. Negotiators focused on a city-edge plot allocated in 2013 but never fully transferred, agreeing to accelerate paperwork and protect the land from speculative encroachment. Community And Federation Find Common Ground SSFF Secretary General Lawrence said the talks produced ‘a clear path forward’ with both parties pledging prompt compliance with legal requirements to secure title documentation and break ground on modern facilities. Molobur chair Stephen Swoka Mario…

South Sudan Police Report Highlights Weekly Deaths Between 1 and 8 September, South Sudan’s National Police Service logged nine violent deaths and three suicides, Deputy Police Spokesperson Major Lith Wilson Simon confirmed. The incidents spanned several states, underlining persistent micro-level security hotspots despite an otherwise calm national picture. Foreign Nationals Among Victims Two of the deceased were foreign nationals. One Syrian was found dead from unexplained causes, while another expatriate reportedly took their own life. Police declined to speculate on motive, pending laboratory and forensic reports expected later this month. Robberies and Shootings Across States Separate robberies in Khor Gana,…

Malakal PoC: A Decade of Shelter The Malakal Protection of Civilians site opened in 2014 at the height of South Sudan’s civil conflict. What began as a temporary haven quickly became a semi-permanent settlement for families escaping violence along the Upper Nile corridor. Over time, shelters, markets and basic clinics emerged, encouraged by steady cooperation between United Nations Mission in South Sudan and local authorities. Biometric Data: Why It Matters IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix introduced biometric registration to curb aid duplication and sharpen beneficiary targeting. Fingerprint scanners link every resident to a unique code, replacing paper lists susceptible to inflation…

Historic Inauguration in Addis Ababa ADDIS ABABA – Standing before African and Caribbean dignitaries, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir celebrated the commissioning of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, calling the 6 000-megawatt project a continental landmark of unity and engineering. ‘This dam is a symbol of unity, sacrifice, and determination,’ Kiir told the crowd, asserting that collective vision can move mountains. Draft Agreement for Cross-Border Power He revealed that Juba and Addis Ababa are drafting a bilateral agreement to channel surplus GERD electricity into South Sudan’s grid via high-voltage lines that could stretch over 300 kilometres. Expected Impact on South Sudanese…

Israeli doctors bring mobile cardiology to Juba At Al-Sabah Children’s Hospital in Juba, volunteer cardiologists from the Israeli charity Save a Child’s Heart spent three days examining infants for congenital defects, using portable echocardiography units that drew steady queues of anxious parents. Paediatric registrar Dr. Roni Levy reported that fifteen children require urgent open-heart surgery, operations the organisation has pledged to perform free of charge at Wolfson Medical Center near Tel Aviv later this year. Families line up for lifesaving diagnoses Nyakuron West resident Modi Andrew cradled her four-month-old son, saying the screening spared the family the prohibitive fees charged…