Author: The South Sudan Herald

Military directive calms rising tensions General Paul Nang’s overnight order pulling South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and armed youth off Bioth-agany fishing island surprised residents of Jonglei and Warrap. The disputed sandbar has witnessed cyclical skirmishes since 2023, claiming dozens of lives and disrupting riverine trade. Army spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang framed the withdrawal as “a humanitarian pause that paves the road to dialogue.” Troops have been instructed to secure, not occupy, the area while elders of Twic and Duk Counties prepare face-to-face talks. Civil society voices guarded optimism Jonglei Civil Society Network chair Bol Deng Bol applauded…

A Preventable Threat Resurfaces On 28 October 2024 authorities confirmed cholera in South Sudan. Twelve months later the bacteria has killed more than 1,500 people and infected over 93,000, despite the illness being easily treatable with timely rehydration and sanitation. Observers ask why containment remains elusive. Medical teams, including Médecins Sans Frontières, say the answer lies beyond microbes, in chronic underfunding, displacement and violence that keep clean water and clinics out of reach. Funding Gaps Undermine Response Public health spending sits below two percent of the national budget, leaving hospitals reliant on donors. Recent withdrawals, such as USAID’s, forced closures…

University of Juba Outreach Effort As part of global Media and Information Literacy Week, journalism undergraduates from the University of Juba spent Thursday mentoring pupils at Juba Day and St. Daniel Comboni secondary schools. Deputy Dean Delphine Roba said the visit broadens training chances for each school’s budding journalism clubs and sharpens awareness of responsible news consumption. Why Media Literacy Matters for Teens Roba reminded learners that mobile phones unleash torrents of unverified content, making verification and cross-checking through multiple sources a civic obligation. She stressed that the university will continue follow-up workshops, noting, in her words, ‘Media is the…

Nationwide Survey Prompts Sudden Suspension South Sudan’s Ministry of Mining suspended all small-scale mining and exploration licenses in Western Bahr el Ghazal, effective 1 November, according to a 30 October order. Officials say the pause will clear the field for a nationwide geological survey designed to map resources more precisely and guide future concessions. Mandatory Juba Meeting for License Holders The ministry also summoned every license holder to Juba’s Pyramid Hotel on 4 November for what it called an “urgent” consultation on the new framework. In its letter, the ministry stressed attendance was mandatory, underscoring an intention to keep operators…

Global Handwashing Day Sparks Classroom Cleanliness Abyei-Ajok Primary School in Rumbek Central County hosted Lakes State’s Global Handwashing Day ceremony, turning a routine awareness date into a vivid lesson for hundreds of pupils. State Minister Zacharia Magot Ater Aguai told learners that “hand-washing must become a daily habit,” adding that trimmed nails and covered food form the bedrock of public health. Officials Outline Broader Public Service Vision Aguai linked the hygiene push to a wider agenda, noting Governor Rin Tueny Mabor’s focus on education, water, health, farming and roads. He credited national stability to President Salva Kiir, arguing that peace…

Pilgrims on the Move in Jonglei State Hundreds of congregants left Langkien, the administrative hub of Nyirol County, early Wednesday en route to a regional church conference in Motot, Uror County. Organisers say the annual Christian Temple gathering aims to promote reconciliation among Jonglei’s fractured communities through prayer and dialogue. Ambush Near Tut Payam At 9 a.m., gunmen emerged near Tut Payam and opened fire to halt the convoy, according to Commissioner Peter Gatkuoth Koang. Witnesses report that a boy and a girl, both under two years, were snatched from their mothers while other worshippers, mostly women and children, were…

High-Level October Diplomacy In October, Juba placed foreign engagement at the heart of its agenda, weaving economics and peace into a single narrative (Eye Radio, 25 Oct 2024). Officials argue the strategy showcases South Sudan’s readiness to court investors while strengthening multilateral security guarantees. Presidential Outreach to the UAE President Salva Kiir’s visit to Abu Dhabi spotlights energy, agriculture, and infrastructure opportunities, with Emirati interlocutors signalling interest in oil services and solar power projects. Government aides report talks on visa facilitation and direct flights, elements seen as critical to converting memoranda into concrete capital flows. Renewed Dialogue with Sudan Foreign…

Juba Conference Highlights Gender Gap in Skies In Juba, the third Women in Aviation Conference convened state, financial, and diplomatic leaders, who framed gender inclusion as a pillar for secure skies and wider national progress. Governor Mujung Calls for Barrier Removal Central Equatoria Governor Emmanuel Rabi Mujung urged government, business and civil society to dismantle obstacles hindering female professionals, urging partners to fund upskilling programmes that move women from tarmac edges into cockpit and control tower. Central Bank Links Equality to Reforms Bank of South Sudan Governor Dr. Addis Ababa Othow linked inclusion to the country’s reform agenda, promising institutional…

Trailblazing Victory in Kampala The Bright Stars, South Sudan’s national blind football squad, defeated Uganda 3–0 in Kampala, clinching the first East African Blind Football Championship and drawing cheers from a stadium adjusting to the rattle of a bell-filled ball. Coach Simon Madol Akol called the win “a signal that disability is no barrier to excellence” as players moved a step closer to their ambition of appearing at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Sport as Social Inclusion in South Sudan Formed only five years ago with two volunteers, the team now gathers forty athletes from Juba to Wau,…

Rising Alarm in Juba United Nations investigators cautioned the General Assembly that South Sudan’s transitional roadmap is fraying, citing renewed violence, political detentions and airstrikes in civilian zones, trends that Commissioner Barney Afako warned “point to a slide back toward another deadly war.” Mounting clashes unsettle fragile peace Field reports from the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan describe intensified combat since March, displacing more than 370,000 people inside the country and forcing still others across porous borders, casting doubt on the durability of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement signed to silence guns. Human cost behind the numbers Chair…