Author: The South Sudan Herald

Security Deployment Along the White Nile Jonglei State has rushed troops, police, and intelligence officers to seven contested fishing islands on the White Nile, hoping to cool communal tempers that have simmered since 2023. The operation follows fresh tension between Hol and Ayual youth over Biothagany’s lucrative waters. Information Minister Nyamar Lony Thichot Ngundeng confirmed the deployment on 8 October after the Chief of Defence Forces, General Paul Nang, ordered all armed groups to leave Biothagany within 48 hours last month. Top Commanders Lead Coordinated Operation Joint units of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, National Security Service, and National…

According to an investigation by Kenya Insights, while mothers in South Sudan watch their children’s bellies swell from hunger, $1.7 billion in public oil revenue has vanished. Investigators from the United Nations and U.S. regulatory agencies have traced the missing funds to networks linked to one of the most powerful men in the country — Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel — who now stands one heartbeat from the presidency. In May 2025, despite being under U.S. sanctions since 2017 for corruption and abuse of state contracts, Bol Mel was promoted to First Vice Chairperson of the ruling SPLM, positioning him as…

South Sudan Football Federation Shake-Up South Sudan’s football community woke up to an unexpected communiqué: Secretary-General Victor Lawrence Lual is out, replaced by lawyer Baak Athian Baak after an executive meeting led by federation president Francis Amin. Spokesperson Adau Leek Mawut confirmed the decision yet kept the motives under wraps, promising full disclosure only once the federation’s website carries the official minutes. Quiet Exit of Victor Lual Lual had served during the previous administration and was reappointed in August after Amin’s election, a gesture many read as continuity and institutional memory. His abrupt dismissal, however, signals a shift in the…

Embassy in Nairobi Closed Over Rent Arrears Diplomats confirmed the South Sudanese embassy in Nairobi was locked on Friday after months of unpaid rent, forcing a temporary halt to consular services (Radio Tamazuj). Staff speaking anonymously said the landlord secured the premises until authorities in Juba settle outstanding fees. Civil Society Calls for Swift Intervention Community Empowerment for Progress Organization head Edmund Yakani labelled the episode ‘disturbing, discouraging and embarrassing’, arguing it undercuts Juba’s regional diplomacy. Yakani urged President Salva Kiir and the foreign ministry to restore operations quickly, stressing Kenya’s strategic role for trade, security and mediation. Foreign Ministry…

Historic $17m Climate-Smart School Drive Juba’s Freedom Hall saw ministers, donors and pupils applaud the launch of the Building the Climate Resilience of Children and Communities through the Education Sector, BRACE. The US$17 million plan promises learning continuity for more than 200,000 South Sudanese children battered by floods and heat. Solar Power, Safe Water and Cool Classes Hundreds of classrooms will be retrofitted with rooftop solar panels, rain-water harvesting tanks, efficient ventilation and upgraded latrines. Officials say these practical tweaks transform fragile mud-brick buildings into year-round shelters where lessons can proceed despite blackouts, droughts or sudden temperature spikes. Teaching Climate…

Hepatitis E Toll Rises in Northern Bahr el Ghazal Health officials in Aweil confirm 192 hepatitis E infections and 30 deaths since start of 2024, marking the state’s most severe liver-disease episode in years. The World Health Organization lists hepatitis E among the variants with the highest epidemic potential across Africa. Local health educator Luka Lual Aleu Jok told Sudans Post, “192 is already confirmed officially by the Ministry of Health here in the state with 30 death cases.” Contaminated Water Drives Infection Spike Officials trace the surge to untreated human waste seeping into wells and streams that supply drinking…

A decisive ministerial order On 6 November, Mining Minister Martin Gama Abucha signed a directive that confines the buying, selling and exporting of gold to companies already holding Minerals Trading Licenses (Eye Radio). The same order fixes a minimum export threshold of one kilogram, a move officials say will help trace every outbound consignment and deter smuggling. Small-scale miners weigh options Firms with small-scale mining permits may still dig for gold, yet they must now sell domestically to any licensed trader rather than ship abroad, effectively narrowing their market but, authorities argue, protecting national revenue. Several cooperative leaders in Western…

UN Peacekeepers Break Ground Ethiopian blue-berets from UNMISS spent Saturday morning clearing weeds and debris from the deserted Gbudue Stadium, marking the first physical step in its long-awaited rehabilitation. Jane Kony, UNMISS Head of Office in Western Equatoria, said the operation ‘shows our joint resolve to keep young people busy on the pitch, not on the frontline’, as more than 100 troops joined locals. Government Applauds Sporting Revival Acting governor Justin Joseph Marona called the initiative ‘a milestone for Western Equatoria’s return to normal life’, urging other partners to emulate UNMISS and channel resources into sports infrastructure. ‘The stadium stands…

German-South Sudan Vision Health Initiative At Wau Teaching Hospital, a new wave of optimism spread as the German Embassy and the Catholic Diocese of Wau launched an Integrated Eye Care Campaign on 4 November 2025. The program aims to conduct 1,200 cataract surgeries and treat more than 3,000 people suffering from various visual impairments across Western Bahr el Ghazal. Eye Care Bridges Health and Socio-Economic Gaps Preventable blindness still curtails schooling, employment, and independence in rural South Sudan, deepening cycles of poverty and exclusion, health experts observe. By restoring sight, the campaign is expected to return children to classrooms, enable…

Doha Sets Stage Doha’s business circles signalled fresh intent this week as Qatar Chamber held back-to-back talks with senior ministers from Malawi and South Sudan, mapping a path for stronger trade and investment ties between the Gulf state and two rising African markets. Qatari Appetite for African Growth First Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari told the delegations that Qatari companies are scanning the continent for scalable projects in energy, agriculture and infrastructure, adding that the Chamber stands ready to “connect capital with ideas”. He underlined Doha’s strategy of diversification beyond hydrocarbons, arguing that partnering with emerging African…