Author: The South Sudan Herald

South Sudan Talent Celebrated Abroad South Sudanese fifth-year medical student Ngong Atem Akol captured continental attention after winning the Best Oral Research Abstract Presenter award at the 2025 Pan-African Organization for Health, Education and Research symposium held at the University of Lusaka in Zambia. Virtual Medical Presentation Shines Speaking via Zoom from Suez University’s Egypt Satellite Site, Ngong delivered a clinical case report titled “Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome Presenting with Prominent Gastric Folds,” a narrative judges said combined clarity with concise pathology discussion. Pan-African Student Competition Highlights The 2025 symposium showcased 17 student researchers representing Nigeria, Zambia, Sudan, Kenya, Cameroon…

Sudden decree stirs Juba’s economic circles On Monday evening, state television interrupted its programming to announce a presidential decree removing First Undersecretary Garang Majak Bol from the Ministry of Finance and Planning. The order, signed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, returned veteran technocrat Kuol Daniel Ayulo to the post. A familiar face returns to the treasury Ayulo previously held the same senior civil-service position before an earlier dismissal. His reinstatement signals Kiir’s preference for experienced hands during delicate macroeconomic adjustments, including currency stabilization and salary arrears settlement spelt out in recent cabinet briefings. No official rationale, but timing raises questions…

Night Blaze Engulfs Custom Market Flames surged through Juba’s bustling Custom Market on Monday evening, destroying rows of stalls and forcing vendors to flee. Witnesses described an inferno advancing toward the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation compound, lighting the sky orange above the Nyakuron neighborhood. Livestream Interrupted by Detention Journalist Santo Jal Dut began livestreaming the blaze, voicing frustration at the absent fire brigade and appealing directly to President Salva Kiir. Moments into his broadcast, security personnel approached, seized his phone, and escorted him into an unmarked vehicle at 9:30 p.m. Footage captured a soldier’s voice saying, “We are looking…

Strategic Importance of Babanusa The 22nd Infantry Division headquarters in Babanusa has long anchored Sudanese Armed Forces control over West Kordofan, a corridor linking Darfur to oil fields near South Sudan. Its loss gives the Rapid Support Forces near-total sway in the state, narrowing SAF supply routes. Timeline of the Assault Fighting escalated after the RSF captured El Fasher, freeing combat units for the Kordofan front. Daily raids culminated in two coordinated strikes on Sunday and two more on Monday, overwhelming depleted garrison defenses that had endured a two-year siege, military sources said. Inside the Fallen Garrison Videos geolocated to…

Shrinking Candidate Numbers in Pibor In Pibor town, silence replaced the usual exam-day bustle as only 47 candidates—44 boys and three girls—walked into classrooms for the 2025 South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education. Local education officials say the number is among the lowest recorded since Greater Pibor Administrative Area gained self-governing status, sparking fears for the region’s fragile education gains. Root Causes: Teachers, Security, Traditions Minister of General Education Butrosus Ochalla calls the turnout “deeply worrying,” linking it to a cocktail of insecurity, teacher shortages and cultural pressures that pull adolescents from classrooms to cattle camps. He notes that most…

Testimony Sends Shockwaves Through Court Freedom Hall fell silent as Major Peter Malual Deng recounted how a top general allegedly failed to relay an attack warning, thrusting the packed special court into one of its most dramatic moments yet. Ignored Intelligence Under Scrutiny According to the investigator, Lieutenant General Gabriel Duop Lam received credible intelligence days before the 3 March massacre but neither informed national leaders nor mobilised additional forces, leaving the Nasir garrison exposed. Unpacking the Nasir Carnage The overnight assault killed more than 250 soldiers, a senior commander and a UN helicopter crew member, with prosecutors alleging coordination…

South Sudan Athletics Targets Regional Reach In Juba, South Sudan Athletics Federation President Majok Ayii outlined an expansive plan to widen the nation’s track footprint across Africa and beyond, citing fresh record times at the third republican championship as proof that domestic talent is “ready for the next stage” (Ayii). Inside the Training Camp Blueprint According to the blueprint, new camps will open in Juba, Wau and Malakal, while regional bases are slated for Eldoret in Kenya and Kapchorwa in Uganda, renowned altitude hubs that have produced Olympic medallists. Ayii added that selected senior athletes will rotate through overseas stints…

Breaking Gender Barriers in Nzara In Nzara County, Western Equatoria, 27-year-old Amugima Esther Joseph swapped uncertainty for cement in 2023. Earning about 10,000 South Sudanese Pounds daily, the single mother of four quickly became her family’s bread-winner, collecting 60,000 SSP within six weeks. “This trowel feeds everyone under my roof,” she says calmly. “Masonry is my anchor, even while I scan the horizon for fresh openings.” Her resolve chips away at long-standing gender assumptions on dusty construction sites. Land and Harvest: A Dual Foundation Earlier earnings from the Community Organisation for Peer Educators, where she volunteered before receiving a modest…

Security Council Mandate Central Equatoria State’s Council of Ministers has instructed police and military units to dismantle the self-styled “Niggers” gang after fresh reports of robberies and narcotics trade unsettled Juba’s calm (State Minister Nyarsuk Patrick). Officials argue the swift action will preserve public order and reassure residents and investors of the capital’s safety. Rising Gang Violence in Juba Deputy Governor Paulino Lokudu earlier announced the arrest of 623 suspected members of groups such as 4SG Slime, West Coast, ODA, Killers Gangs and Black Devils, signalling a nationwide push against organised youth violence. Authorities link the recent flare-ups to competition…

Malakal market shooting leaves shoppers shaken Shoppers scattered as bursts of gunfire shattered the Friday bustle in Malakal’s central market. Witnesses recall a uniformed man swaying, shouting, then raising his rifle. In seconds, two bystanders bled on the dusty ground, victims of what officials call drug-fuelled recklessness. Identifying the gunman and the tramadol link Officials identified the gunman as a member of Division Two of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces. Information Minister Peter Ngwojo told Eye Radio the soldier was “under the influence of tramadol, a drug he often uses,” before the dispute erupted. Tramadol, an opioid painkiller, has…