Author: The South Sudan Herald

Data Desert in a Goldland Researchers estimate South Sudan produces about five tonnes of gold yearly, yet official ledgers record virtually none of it. The Ministry of Mining concedes, “there is no formal mining,” and the country stays outside global transparency bodies, leaving production and export figures in complete darkness. Artisanal Pits and Hidden Players Gold extraction is overwhelmingly artisanal, concentrated in Eastern and Central Equatoria. Tens of thousands of miners work with rudimentary tools, often under hazardous conditions. Limited state oversight has allowed international traders, local powerbrokers and foreign middlemen to dominate the value chain, turning pits into micro-economies…

2026 Mundari Cultural Festival Dates Official The organising committee has fixed 16–18 January 2026 for the annual Mundari Cultural Festival in Terekeka. The announcement, witnessed by senior officials on Friday, signals the start of logistical preparations and renewed excitement across Central Equatoria State. Ministry Affirms Full Support for Heritage Drive Undersecretary Malok Majak Malok said the Ministry of Culture, Museums and National Heritage “fully supports this festival because cultural events enhance mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence,” adding that Minister Dr. Nadia Arop Dudi views the gathering as a pillar of nation-building. He pointed to recent Pojulu, Wau and Torit festivals…

Cross-Examination Exposes Evidentiary Void During the 26th hearing, lead defence counsel Kur Lual Kur challenged prosecution witness Maj. Peter Malual Deng to present any document, recording or message proving that suspended First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar ordered militia leader Kang Makana to kill Maj. Gen. David Majur Dak (The Dawn Newspaper, 29 Nov 2025). Investigator Concedes No Recorded Orders Maj. Malual told the court that the joint military committee held no audio or written directive from Machar. He nevertheless argued that shooting orders should originate from the field commander, hinting at implied responsibility without offering corroborating material evidence. Competing Narratives…

State backs community broadcaster in South Sudan At a gathering in Juba, Central Equatoria’s Information Minister Nyarsuk Patrick underlined that Terekaka Radio belongs to citizens, not power brokers, and vowed government support that stops short of editorial intrusion. Donor partnership strengthens rural information flow He praised contributions from JICA, UNESCO and local NGO Salaam Junubi, saying their equipment and training give remote cattle camps the same access to verified news as towns along the Nile. Safeguarding editorial freedom and sustainability “Community radios stitch society together,” Patrick told attendees, describing plans to use programmes on culture, reconciliation and markets to accelerate…

Rising Air Warfare Adds to Civilian Toll Humanitarian observers record a sharp uptick in airstrikes across seven of South Sudan’s ten states, with barrel bombs pushing nearly half a million residents into sudden flight, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). ICRC head of delegation Florence Gillette told reporters in Geneva that “the number of weapon-wounded patients is the highest we have seen since 2018,” with almost 1,000 cases registered in ICRC-supported hospitals during the first half of 2025. Hospitals Under Strain Amid Funding Drop Medical facilities, many already operating with skeletal staff, report a drastic reduction…

Historic Shift in Eastern Equatoria On a crisp Friday morning in Torit, more than 2,000 former SPLA-IO fighters marched into SSPDF Division 7 headquarters, saluting a new flag. The spectacle, noted by community elders, stands among the largest single defections recorded in Eastern Equatoria State in recent memory. Division commander Gen. Kennedy Moses thanked the arrivals for what he called a “courageous and timely choice,” arguing that their presence strengthens current efforts to protect civilians and infrastructure across the state. Reasons Behind the Defection Reading the declaration, Maj. Gen. Dr. Koboss Milton blamed deepening nepotism inside SPLA-IO, joking that “father,…

Surge in South Sudanese Refugees Since February 2025, an estimated 190,000 South Sudanese have crossed borders into Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, joining the 2.4 million already displaced in previous years (UNHCR October 2025). Sudan alone has seen 75,000 new arrivals, while 45,000 headed to the DRC, 39,000 to Ethiopia and 30,000 to Uganda, putting fresh strain on reception sites and local services already stretched by earlier movements. Return Movements to Sudan Complex dynamics persist; more than 132,000 Sudanese who had fled earlier conflict have now gone back from South Sudan to their homeland, often to…

Licence bolsters South Sudan fibre ambitions Bayobab Infra Solutions, the infrastructure arm of MTN, has received a 15-year National Communications Authority licence to build, install and run fibre networks across South Sudan. The permit, issued on 16 October, covers both terrestrial and satellite systems. Project East 2 West gets fresh momentum Chief Executive Mazen Mroué called the licence “a pivotal step” for Project East 2 West, the US$320 million programme Bayobab launched with Africa50 in 2023. The corridor aims to link ten countries from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic, reinforcing redundancy across the continent. Bridging the digital divide in…

Quiet Momentum in Juba In Juba, delegates from rival camps sat together again this week, continuing the home-grown dialogue designed to rescue the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, signed in 2018 yet still only partially realised. The latest session featured Former Political Detainees, parliamentarians, and women mediators intent on turning uneasy ceasefire lines into a durable political settlement that could shepherd the young republic toward long-delayed elections. Stakeholders Renew Commitment MP Akot Dut Ajieno called the exchange ‘fruitful and very interesting,’ underlining that every signatory bears an equal duty to honour deadlines, fund institutions,…

Forum in Juba Elevates Gender Equity Agenda A high-level Policy Dissemination Forum convened by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund gathered government, UN agencies and civil society in Juba. Delegates pressed for urgent, gender-responsive policies that embed women at every point of the agricultural value chain. Women Farmers’ Invisible Labour Highlighted Adong Betty, speaking for the UN Women Country Representative, underlined that women produce most household food yet remain excluded from decisions, resources and markets. “Women till the land that feeds families and communities, yet their contributions remain invisible,” she noted, urging systemic change. Structural Barriers Undermine Productivity Participants cited discriminatory…