Author: The South Sudan Herald

Foreign Aid Declines, Pressure Mounts South Sudan’s Health Minister, Dr. Sarah Cleto Hassan, revealed that external partners currently bankroll 85% of the nation’s health services. Recent funding contractions, she warned, are already disrupting rural clinics and vaccination drives. December Summit Seeks Fresh Answers From 2–5 December, Juba will host a national health summit themed ‘Transforming Health Systems for Equity, Resilience and Impact.’ Officials, donors and researchers will dissect service gaps and draft a joint roadmap for a sturdier, home-grown system. Disease Outbreaks and Climate Shocks The ministry links the urgency to a rise in malaria, cholera and flood-related emergencies that…

Violence Flashes in Jonglei State Violence in Jonglei State has accelerated, prompting urgent appeals inside South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly. Between 14 and 19 November, suspected armed youths from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area allegedly killed three civilians, including two women in Werkok Boma and another near Mogri military camp. Parliament Hears Disturbing Reports Lawmaker Michael Ayuen Johnson detailed the attacks, naming victims Bol Anyieth and Yar Kuorwel, while warning that similar ambushes now threaten Bor County’s fragile recovery. He told colleagues the house symbolises national unity, adding that if MPs share meals in harmony, their constituencies can also…

President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday evening issued a series of sweeping presidential decrees announcing major changes across key government institutions. The decrees, broadcast live on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), come at a moment of intense public scrutiny over corruption allegations and administrative misconduct in the Ministry of Petroleum and associated state bodies. The reshuffle follows weeks of turmoil marked by arrests, investigations, and the dramatic downfall of senior officials linked to the network of former Second Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, who remains under house arrest in Juba. Undersecretary Eng. Deng Lual Wol Dismissed One of…

Background to the Clashes in Budi County The rugged hills of Eastern Equatoria State have long hosted tense relations between the Buya-speaking Larim and pastoralist Toposa communities, aggravated by cattle raids and border disputes (local authorities). Chronology of Recent Revenge Attacks Violence flared on 18 November with the killing of a boy near Camp 15, sparking reprisals that spanned three days and left seven people dead, including two road crew, two soldiers and three civilians, chiefs reported (Radio Tamazuj). Witnesses said unidentified armed youth ambushed police guarding the construction site on 22 November, before targeting a passing woman and a…

Unanimous Vote in Transitional Assembly The Transitional National Legislative Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass the Cybercrime and Computer Misuse Bill 2025. Justice Minister Michael Makuei Lueth argued the country can no longer prosecute online offenses without a clear statute, calling the measure “a necessary step toward global standards”. Key Offences and Penalties Outlined The bill criminalises hacking, espionage, cyber terrorism and economic sabotage, as well as fake websites, false information and gender-based harassment. Minor infractions carry up to two years in prison or fines of one million South Sudanese Pounds, with lawmakers saying amounts may be reviewed as…

Women Farmers Steer Climate-Smart Agriculture In Pakur Boma, Rubkona County, women farmers are quietly recasting local agriculture, swapping flood frustration for climate resilience after seasons of conflict and inundation. Most are widows who rely on the soil to finance school fees, medicines and daily meals, making the success of each seed a household question of survival. Training and Seeds that Withstand Floods Coalition for Humanity’s field manager Simon Khamis James Yambala says technical coaching has been decisive, noting, “The group is dominated by women; they embraced every climate-smart lesson we shared.” Rice, sugarcane, yams and improved sweet-potato vines now thrive…

Escalating Violence Challenges Monitors Ceasefire monitors in South Sudan caution that worsening insecurity is eroding hard-won gains in the peace process. Addressing an extraordinary board session, CTSAMVM Chair Maj. Gen. Teshome Anagawe Ayana described a deteriorating security landscape since the March 2025 Nasir incident. Sharp Rise in Alleged Violations CTSAMVM data reveals 50 per cent of September 2025 daily reports contained violation claims, up from 29 per cent in August. Although October showed a slight dip to 28 per cent, monitors say parties continue preferring armed confrontation to their R-ARCSS obligations (Maj. Gen. Teshome). Operational Roadblocks in the Field Monitors…

Bor peace conference gathers regional actors At Park Palace Hotel in Bor, Jonglei State Governor Dr. Riek Gai Kok opened a three-day Inter-Communal Governance Structures Peace Conference on Monday, welcoming county commissioners, youth representatives and ministers from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. The agenda seeks realistic ways to curb cattle raiding, child abduction and cross-border insecurity that have troubled riverine communities for years, undermining trade routes and seasonal migration patterns. Root causes of recurrent clashes Delegates acknowledged that economic pressures, drought-driven grazing shortages and the cultural value of cattle continue to fuel competition, often escalating into armed confrontation between neighbouring…

Silenced Honesty and Loud Falsehoods In Juba cafés, activists whisper that truth now moves cautiously, fearing reprisal. Many analysts note that public narratives are dominated by confident claims that often escape verification. Roots of the Crisis Political historians trace the trend to the post-independence power struggle, where patronage cemented influence faster than institutions. Observers argue that tribal affiliations, once a survival mechanism, were reshaped into political currency, fuelling mutual suspicion. Society’s Response and Hope Youth movements, such as Anataban, call for accountability through street art and social media, framing honesty as patriotic. Churches and elders routinely mediate local disputes, insisting…

Bride Price Under the Spotlight The practice of bride price in South Sudan, an exchange of cattle or cash for a bride, remains widely observed despite urbanisation and migration. Critics say it commodifies women and strains young men financially (Nyamilepedia, 2020). Citizen journalist Paul Ruot Bayoch reignited the debate by arguing that no culture should reduce human dignity to a transaction. His essay attracted praise and pushback across the region. Voices from the Diaspora Tatiana Bol, a Russian-Australian once married to a Nuer professional, shared a four-page letter describing how bride price expectations eroded her marriage. She admired her husband’s…