Author: The South Sudan Herald

Historic Diplomatic Stop in South Sudan Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel arrived in Juba on 13 August, marking the first high-level Israeli visit to South Sudan since 2016. Officials in Juba described the stopover as ‘a statement of friendship’ after years of quiet security coordination. Clarifying the Gaza Question Speaking to Eye Radio, Haskel dismissed media speculation that Jerusalem sought to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan. ‘This was never on our agenda,’ she stressed, adding that no formal approach had been made to President Salva Kiir or any cabinet ministry. New Bilateral Agreements Instead, the visit produced…

Student Dreams Meet Harsh Realities in Kigali For thousands of South Sudanese youths, a Rwandan degree represents both escape from conflict and ticket to professional respect. Yet veteran campus organiser Ruot Mawich Yak Deng says not all dreams survive the lecture hall. His recent open letter warns that some compatriots have turned foreign campuses into costly theatres of deception, mastering social media poses while skipping coursework entirely. Inside the Elaborate Degree Forgery Scheme Deng recounts the 2024 case of a finance student who failed first-year exams, vanished from registers, yet staged a full mock graduation with tailored gown, hired photographer…

Contested Claims of a Virtual Meeting The online portal Sixty-Four Tribes Press alleged that SSPM leader Dr. Costello Garang Riiny, former governor Tong Akeen Ngor and army chief Gen. Santino Deng Wol held a Google Meet endorsing Vice-President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel Kuol as President Kiir’s successor. The report warned the Aweil community might rebel if their demand was ignored, intensifying chatter inside cafes and WhatsApp groups across Juba. SSPM’s Firm Denial SSPM spokesperson David Lawrence Lual described the story as baseless propaganda designed to stain the party’s credibility, insisting no physical or virtual meeting ever occurred with the personalities…

Training Timeline Gains Clarity The National Transitional Committee chair, Gen. Kuol Manyang Juk, confirmed in Juba that phase two training of South Sudan’s Necessary Unified Forces will begin before month-end, compressing drills into a three-month window. Revitalized Peace Deal Timeline The accelerated schedule answers provisions of the 2018 revitalized peace accord, which mandates integration of rival forces into one national army to end years of factionalism. Logistics and Arms Debate Only 4,000 of the 53,000 troops trained in phase one have deployed, largely unarmed, as an international arms embargo remains in force, according to President Salva Kiir’s office. Western partners…

Escalating Insecurity in Western Equatoria Western Equatoria sits on fertile ground and strategic roads linking Juba with the Congo border. Yet months of ambushes have emptied markets and stalled trade, shrinking household incomes and disrupting humanitarian cargo according to humanitarian monitors stationed in Maridi. Acting Governor Rimbasa Issues Homecoming Appeal Acting Governor Daniel Badagbu Rimbasa stepped before reporters in Yambio on Monday, voice steady but urgent. He invited fighters loyal to former governor Alfred Futuyo Karaba to ‘come back home, rebuild with us, and allow children to walk to school without fear’. New Leadership Signals Policy Shift The plea follows…

Disability Rights Landscape in South Sudan South Sudan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2015, pledging to end discrimination and improve access. Eight years on, activists say progress is visible in public rhetoric but patchy in everyday life, where jobs for qualified graduates with disabilities remain scarce. Employment Gap Numbers Tell a Story A 2023 Ministry of Labour survey found only 2 percent of formal positions in Juba filled by persons with disabilities, despite World Bank estimates that they form at least 7 percent of the labour force. Advocates argue the mismatch signals untapped…

A Renewed Push Against Malaria The Ministry of Health and Population has unveiled the second phase of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine campaign, covering all 86 health districts after last year’s limited pilot in northern departments. Officials aim to reach 350,000 children aged five to 23 months before November rains, a period when vector density often doubles along the Congo and Kouilou rivers. Financing the Fight Brazzaville’s budget, supplemented by Gavi, UNICEF and the WHO, allocates USD 3.1 million for vaccine doses, cold-chain upgrades and community mobilisation this fiscal year. Health Minister Dr. Gilbert Mokoki called the package “a prudent investment”…

Parliament Steps In Juba’s restless corridors hummed this week as MP Felix Bali tabled a motion demanding answers for the eight-month silence on Senior Four exam results. The Transitional National Legislative Assembly expects Dr. Kuyok Abol Kuyok to detail why 48,484 candidates still await their academic fate. Financial Hurdles at the Core The minister previously told broadcasters that only 28 percent of marking funds had reached his docket, hinting at a treasury bottleneck many insiders confirm. “Education cannot queue behind politics,” argued Bali, urging simultaneous summons for Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol to clarify payment schedules. Student Futures on…

Why a People-Driven Charter Matters South Sudan’s quest for a durable charter entered a lively phase this week as civil-society group SPIDO convened a one-day symposium in Torit to explain the 2022 Constitutional Making Process Act and collect grassroots opinions. Grassroots Consultations Gain Momentum Community leaders, youth representatives and traditional chiefs packed Torit Freedom Hall, while thousands followed livestreams from Juba and the diaspora, signalling widespread appetite for participation in shaping the supreme law. Organisers said similar dialogues will roll across Central, Eastern and Western Equatoria during the five-month project financed by a 60,000-dollar UNDP grant designed to broaden civic…

High-level delegation departs Juba Leaving Juba’s dusty runway at dawn, Vice President for the Economic Cluster Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel boarded a direct jet to Abu Dhabi, leading ministers and technocrats tasked with turning boardroom promises into hard currency for the continent’s youngest republic. Press secretary Oyiti Ajawin told journalists the trip reflects “a decisive pivot toward sustainable partnerships”, emphasising that private capital is vital while oil prices fluctuate and climate risks rise. Energy, agriculture and tech on agenda Sources within the delegation say proposals cover refinery upgrades, solar farms along the Nile corridor, large-scale sorghum processing and a potential…