Author: The South Sudan Herald

Drug Supplies Depleted Fast Executive Director Justin Bruno reports that stocks meant for half a year vanish in eight weeks, leaving parents to buy overpriced medicines or watch treatment stop. Children with chronic conditions are hit hardest, hospital records show, with some missing critical doses for days. Unpaid Heroes Keep Working Doctors, nurses and cleaners have forgone salaries for more than a year but still sign in daily as volunteers, Bruno says. Many moonlight in private pharmacies at night to pay rent yet return each dawn to crowded wards. Power and Water Gridlock Frequent blackouts force staff to hand-pump oxygen,…

Lakes State Governor Orders Release Three senior SPLM-IO figures left detention in Rumbek after Governor Rin Tueny Mabor signed a release order. Lawmakers Ater Akolde and Kaman Makuenyar Achien joined Youth League head Mandela Machiek outside prison walls, ending five uneasy months. Remaining Detentions Stir Debate Deputy Governor Dr. Isaiah Akhol Mathiang and Fisheries Minister Samuel Gai Magok remain in custody. Officials say investigations continue, yet activists argue prolonged detention without trial undermines the revitalized peace deal. Acting information minister William Koji Kerjok maintains both men are safe and will face court if charges materialize. Families and Civil Society React…

Session Halt Underlines Fragile Legislative Rhythm South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly paused a highly anticipated debate on the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission’s quarterly report, citing the absence of peace-monitoring representatives expected to clarify key points on the 2018 agreement’s implementation. Monitoring Bodies Absent at Critical Juncture The quarterly update, first tabled in April, flagged slow progress on drafting a permanent constitution and launching electoral preparations. Yet key figures from the National Transitional Committee and RJMEC, tasked with overseeing these benchmarks, were not in the chamber to answer questions. Lawmakers Clash Over Procedural Rigor Speaker Dr. Jemma Nunu…

South Sudan’s leadership moment on climate President Salva Kiir left Juba for Addis Ababa to attend the second African Climate Summit, an event drawing more than forty heads of state, according to the Office of the President (Eye Radio). Officials in Juba stress that the trip offers a platform to position South Sudan as a constructive voice in continental climate policy, complementing its push for sustainable oil revenue management. Regional dialogue and bilateral talks Presidential spokesperson Lily Martin said Kiir will confer with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and several regional leaders on water management, cross-border trade and renewable energy…

A Clear Stretch in a Tough Terrain Truck drivers crossing South Sudan seldom expect a smooth ride. Yet along the Maper-Yirol-Rumbek axis in Lakes State they find what many now call the country’s only stress-free corridor: no illicit fees, no random stops, only routine safety checks. Hauliers attribute the difference to Governor Rin Tueny Mabor, whose administration openly enforces President Salva Kiir’s 2021 order abolishing illegal checkpoints. Drivers say patrols in Lakes State focus on security rather than revenue extraction. Toll after Toll on Other Routes The contrast emerges starkly once lorries leave Lakes. On the Juba–Bahr el Ghazal road,…

Honey Economy in Lafon County In Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria, villagers once relied on hunting or charcoal for cash. A modest apiary scheme launched in 2022 began shifting that narrative. The Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism joined African Parks to test whether bees could finance people and protect nature simultaneously. Training and First Harvest Results Thirty trainees received hives, suits and basic business coaching in 2024. Their debut harvest reached 750 kilograms, proving commercial potential without felling a single tree. “The moment we weighed that first batch, attitudes changed,” recalls a project supervisor in Badingilo. Badingilo Honey Hits Juba…

Assembly Fast-Tracks Four Accords The Transitional National Legislative Assembly endorsed four bilateral memoranda covering visa exemptions, aviation links, investment promotion and double-taxation relief during an extraordinary sitting last week. Leaders framing the vote said the pacts with the United Arab Emirates could unlock capital, tourists and badly needed non-oil revenue. Veteran MP Voices Alarm SPLM parliamentarian Atem Garang de Kuek dissented, warning that the agreements, some drafted a decade ago, no longer match South Sudan’s fragile security and economic realities. “They are against our interest as a nation,” he told colleagues, describing the documents as “elite illusions” lacking tangible dividends…

Fresh Mandate in Yambio Cheers echoed across Yambio airstrip as Deputy Governor Justin Joseph Marona touched down, launching a tenure he vows will heal Western Equatoria State beyond party lines. The former lawmaker thanked President Salva Kiir for the confidence shown, promising to translate the national call for reconciliation into practical programmes reaching the most remote villages. Community Voices on Unity Traditional drummers and dancers from Zande, Balanda and other ethnic groups escorted his convoy, a sight observers read as grassroots approval for unity after years of sporadic violence. Marona told the crowd, “Without citizens no leader survives,” urging rivals…

Parliamentary Warning to Finance Sector South Sudan’s Standing Specialized Committee on Finance and Economic Planning has ordered commercial banks to stop deducting sales tax and excise duties from customer accounts, calling the practice illegal under the current Financial Act. Customers Cry Foul Over Deductions Lawmakers summoned bank chief executives in Juba after citizens complained that lenders were shifting an 18 percent sales tax onto clients instead of absorbing it themselves, a move that many account holders described as unfair and financially draining. Banks Cite Communication Gaps Bank Association chair Bruno Sirisio conceded that several institutions breached earlier directives, attributing the…

Funding Gaps Threaten Classroom Doors Primary schools in Pigi County, Jonglei State, are edging toward closure as financial support evaporates, local education officials warn. Director Machok Duot Deng says 7,107 pupils lack basics—exercise books, pens and even chalk—after budgets stalled and partner donations slowed (Radio Tamazuj). Volunteer Teachers Shoulder the Load Only 45 teachers remain, all unpaid volunteers striving to keep lessons alive despite personal hardship. “We teach because we are part of this community,” explains Santo Monyluak, noting months without salaries have dimmed morale and instructional quality. Floods and Insecurity Intensify Strain Annual flooding has isolated villages, cutting supply…