Author: The South Sudan Herald

Rural Education Drive in Western Bahr el Ghazal On Wednesday, a convoy of volunteer teachers arrived at Gettan Primary School in Kpaile Payam, Wau County, signalling a grassroots response to years of learning setbacks across Western Bahr el Ghazal State. The initiative, founded by Dr. Mgbara Valentin Duku Uyaka, trains youthful educators and encourages pupils to view schooling as a reliable pathway to personal success rather than an elusive privilege. Classroom Impact and Learner Motivation Head teacher Baptist Ugala observed that pupils who once studied under trees now debate confidently in English, crediting the volunteers for restoring academic morale. “Our…

Derik Cultural Festival Returns in 2025 The vibrant Derik Cultural Festival is set for its fifth edition at the University of Juba from 15 to 22 November 2025. Organisers promise a week of music, debate and exhibitions reflecting South Sudan’s evolving cultural narrative. A Theme Centered on Women’s Legacy This year, the focus shifts to women under the banner “Women of South Sudan: A Legacy of Struggle and Inspiration”. Chairperson Mathiang Cirilo says the decision underlines a central belief: acknowledging women’s leadership is essential to any cultural renaissance. Pioneers in the Spotlight Four trailblazers headline the honours list. Education stalwart…

Nairobi Gathering Sets Ambitious Tone In Nairobi, nine young South Sudanese change-makers stepped onto a continental stage, joining hundreds at the 2nd All Africa Youth Congress 2025 themed “Africa: My Home. My Future.” The five-day meeting invited participants to imagine a self-reliant continent. Nurtured by the All-Africa Conference of Churches, the forum blended faith leaders, tech innovators and grassroots activists, underscoring how spiritual networks still shape civic debate across the continent (Standard Zone News). Self-Funded Delegation Symbolises Resolve Delegation members, aged 18 to 35, paid the 100-dollar registration themselves, topping AACC logistical support. Their gesture projected confidence from a nation…

Sudden Dawn Violence in Jonglei Gunfire shattered the pre-dawn calm in Pieri Payam, Uror County, on Monday when forces loyal to First Vice-President Riek Machar reportedly attacked an SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang position, authorities told Radio Tamazuj. County Commissioner James Gatkhor Gatluak said the firefight began about 2 a.m., leaving one soldier dead and two wounded, one on each side, before calm returned. Disputed Main Battle Tank Local officials linked the skirmish to a dispute over control of a main battle tank long held by the Kitgwang faction. The tracked vehicle, a potent symbol of leverage in a region peppered with small…

Legal basis for bail decision Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech told lawmakers that South Sudanese law bars prolonged detention without charge, compelling him to order bail for the Freedom Hotel owner and staff after months in custody. Geng argued that directing prosecutors to file charges while allowing conditional release respects the constitutionally guaranteed presumption of innocence. Parliamentary scrutiny over release Several MPs accused the minister of yielding to “invisible hands”, yet he insisted no political figure influenced his signature. “The law does not let us cage suspects indefinitely,” he reminded the chamber, quoting article 19 of the transitional constitution. Online…

Unexpected reshuffle shakes traffic command On 11 November, Inspector General of Police Gen. Abraham Manyuat reassigned thirteen senior officers, including Maj. Gen. Kon John Akot, in a presidentially approved reshuffle (Radio Tamazuj). Akot, long-time director of South Sudan’s Traffic Police, was named Police Commissioner for Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and instructed to hand over within 72 hours. Akot rejects rumours of insubordination Speaking from Juba, Akot said he never challenged the transfer order and has remained at home since hearing the news online. “I saw no official letter,” he told reporters. “As a police officer, transfers are routine; the…

South Sudan Economic Crossroads South Sudan’s post-independence economy has been rocked by oil price swings and intermittent conflict. Inflation remains stubborn, and fiscal space is thin, analysts in Juba concede. Against this backdrop, Finance and Planning Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol has unveiled a strategy centered on leaner spending and digital revenue collection. Targeting Government Expenditure “Our priority is to protect the public purse,” the minister told lawmakers in mid-April, urging fast legislative backing. He proposes a freeze on non-essential vehicle purchases, a move observers say could save millions of dollars this fiscal year. Official fleets currently feature Toyota V6…

Conflict and Floods Combine The Upper Nile, Jonglei and Equatoria regions now symbolise a double emergency. Fresh clashes criss-cross villages while swollen rivers erase landmarks, forcing 497,000 people from January to September 2025 to gather in makeshift settlements, church yards and overwhelmed schools. UNICEF notes that 321,000 escaped gunfire, notably in Nagero and Tonga counties, while 175,000 fled floodwaters that swallowed farms and cut roads. The agency warns that ‘persistent insecurity has restricted humanitarian access and damaged health facilities and schools,’ leaving communities isolated. Children at the Epicentre Roughly half of South Sudan’s 9.3 million people in need are children.…

Staff Transfers Spark Hospital Closure in Bor Early Friday, Bor State Hospital locked its main gate after a health ministry order reassigned dozens of auxiliary staff to rural Primary Health Care Centres outside Jonglei’s capital. The surprise shutdown stalled the region’s busiest referral services and ignited debate over equitable deployment. Strikers argue the transfers were non-procedural and would place them in scarcely populated payams such as Baidit, Makuach and Kolnyang, compromising their livelihoods and patient safety. ‘Some destinations are practically uninhabited,’ a workers’ memo seen by this magazine states. Patients Face Limited Access to Critical Care Acting Medical Director Dr.…

Groundbreaking Signals Renewed Focus on Connectivity At a sunlit ceremony in Wau, Governor Sharif Daniel Sharif pressed the symbolic first shovel, marking the start of Kubri Sitta, a 60-metre bridge set to join Wau South and Wau North within five months. Speaking to hundreds of residents, he called the project “a flagship answer to decades of mobility frustrations” and pledged broader upgrades to roads, water and power systems. Community Expectations and Government Appeal Local elders and traders cheered, predicting shorter market trips and lower transport costs once the girders rise over the seasonal river. Governor Sharif urged residents to safeguard…