Author: The South Sudan Herald

A Commissioner’s Peace Mission Commissioner James Kueth Makuach stood before villagers in Dengjock Payam, declaring that unity is the only road to development. He framed the one-day rally as the relaunch of a broader county circuit paused earlier this year by seasonal floods and insecurity. Grassroots Tour Resumes Across Payams The delegation, which includes state MPs, travelled on to Gakdong Payam a day later, repeating calls for dialogue. Officials say every payam will host similar forums designed to let rival clans air grievances in public before elders and administrators. Women, Youth and Chiefs at the Table Representatives of the Akobo…

Henley 2025 Findings Henley & Partners’ January 2025 update places the South Sudanese passport at 97th worldwide, granting visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to only 43 destinations, down from 83 last year (Henley Passport Index 2025). Steep Fall in Mobility Score The ranking drop is stark: in 2024 the document stood 73rd globally and third in Africa. Losing access to forty destinations over twelve months positions South Sudan near the bottom of the 199-country table monitored monthly by IATA data. Regional Standing in East Africa In East Africa, Kenya ranks 73rd with 70 accessible states, Uganda 76th with 67, Ethiopia 96th…

Gender-Based Violence Statistics in South Sudan South Sudan continues to confront alarming gender-based violence rates, ranking second on the continent, according to legal aid officer Morris J. Peter. He links the trend to decades of turbulence. Speaking on Eye Radio’s Sundown Show, Peter explained that conflict zones display the gravest patterns, where violence against women is wielded as a weapon and reporting remains perilously low. Special Courts and Legal Aid Expansion In response, authorities have introduced special courts dedicated to gender-based violence and juvenile matters, aiming to speed hearings, secure evidence, and deter offenders through visible justice across all South…

Scheduled Tariff Cut Becomes Effective November 1 marked the date Juba Electricity Distribution Company pledged to begin lower tariffs, following President Salva Kiir’s directive early this year. Ceremony Signals Quiet Rollout An official launch remained unclear by press time, yet industry figures reportedly gathered for a brief ceremony in the capital. Attendees included Energy Ministry undersecretary Engineer Matthew Ashwil Mawien, JEDCO managing director Engineer Joseph Kur Ajok and Ezra Group chief executive Simson Tekia. Republican Order Shapes Policy Ezra Group earlier indicated the tariff cut would align with a Republican Order designed to relieve households and businesses in Juba. Systems…

HIV Treatment Uptick Signals Hope Latest figures released during World AIDS Day in Juba show a sharp climb in treatment coverage, with 75,567 South Sudanese now on anti-retroviral therapy. The tally stood at 44,000 only a year ago, signalling sustained momentum despite logistic headwinds. Anti-Retroviral Access Expands Deputy Chairperson Achol Ayom Dor credited the jump to coordinated outreach and the uninterrupted supply of free medicines, coordinated by government and partners. She stressed that viral suppression becomes achievable when pills are swallowed on time, allowing healthy pregnancies and transmission-free births. Treatment coverage among expectant mothers edged up from 4,204 to 4,622.…

Aliab Resistance Remembered in Mingkaman Songs, drums and speeches filled Mingkaman as Aliab elders, youth and officials marked 106 years since their ancestors confronted British troops in 1919 (The Dawn Newspaper, 1 Nov 2025). The annual gathering recalls the moment more than 3,000 warriors stormed the local police post, freed arrested clansmen and defied colonial authority. Chief Kon Anok’s Leadership and Sacrifice Speakers highlighted Chief Kon Anok, the Akeei leader who rallied fighters, faced arrest and was later killed for resisting forced labour, cattle seizures and summary executions ordered by colonial administrators. State Officials Call for Historical Awareness Lakes State…

Voices from Juba A surge of hope filled the hall in Juba as Professor Dr Julia Duany addressed the closing of the Eve Organization’s two-day conference. Her message resonated beyond the capital: only frank dialogue can stitch South Sudan’s social fabric torn by years of conflict. Dialogue over Division “Let our leaders talk to each other,” Duany implored, urging forgiveness as the first step toward stability. She warned that silence fuels war, asserting that united voices could transform children’s songs, women’s laughter, and youth gatherings into symbols of peace. Women at the Center The academic framed peacebuilding as a daily…

Five Days of Silent Engagement President Salva Kiir Mayardit touched down in Juba on Friday, ending a five-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates that unfolded far from cameras. Official dispatches remained sparse; no images or communiqués emerged from Abu Dhabi, a style reminiscent of Kiir’s earlier Middle East missions this year. Economic Cooperation at the Heart Presidential Press Secretary David Amuor Majur said talks centred on infrastructure finance, energy and agricultural partnerships designed to diversify South Sudan’s oil-heavy economy. Abu Dhabi has already extended humanitarian aid and invested in solar farms near Renk; officials believe new memoranda could…

Special Court Resumes 16th Session Juba’s Special Court reconvened on Friday for its 16th hearing in the landmark trial against suspended First Vice-President Dr Riek Machar and seven co-accused, pressing ahead despite the medical absence of two defendants. Proceedings opened with both legal benches present, the prosecution poised and the defense determined to test every claim before the panel of judges. Investigator Faces Detailed Interrogation Lead defense counsel Deng John Deng immediately resumed a rigorous cross-examination of Chief Investigator Maj-Gen Basilio Thomas Wani, dissecting his reconstruction of events surrounding the 2023 Nasir garrison attack. Questions centred on a Radio Miraya…

Backlogged Dockets Overwhelm Cells Yei River County’s only prison now houses detainees far beyond its intended capacity, a direct consequence of stalled court sessions and untried cases, county commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme told Eye Radio. Awaiting the Resident Judge According to the commissioner, the previously assigned judge left for medical reasons, leaving hundreds on remand without a hearing and swelling daily intakes. Judicial headquarters in Juba have designated a replacement, yet the officer has not reached Yei, prolonging legal uncertainty for suspects and their families. Resource Challenges Behind Bars Space is not the only limitation; food, bedding, and sanitary supplies…