Author: The South Sudan Herald

Rising Waters Engulf Akobo County Seasonal rains have pushed the Pibor and Akobo rivers beyond their banks, inundating villages across Jonglei’s Akobo County. Local officials estimate 3,042 households, split almost evenly between East and West Akobo, now camp on shrinking islands of high ground. Human Stories Amid the Deluge Nyayany Mai watches water lap at her doorway after two huts collapsed. “The flood is threatening my entire family,” she explains, clutching her children. From Bore Boma, Duoth counts dwindling sorghum stocks. “We need support for food, fishing equipment, plastic sheets and buckets,” he pleads, while elderly William Deng Gol fears…

Residents Grapple With Climbing Ticket Prices In Abyei, boarding a bus now costs more than many monthly salaries. A seat to Wau has leapt from 150,000 to 200,000 SSP since the rains turned main arteries to mud. Shorter rides are equally daunting. The fare to nearby Aneet reportedly soared from 15,000 to 50,000 SSP, squeezing daily commuters and traders who rely on the route for fresh supplies. Infrastructure Woes and Calls for Action Businesswoman Achok Deng said the broken roads do more than raise prices; they isolate the sick. “If your relative falls ill, reaching a hospital in Wau or…

Camp Kuku: Decades-Old Settlement Under Question Camp Kuku sits opposite the former Juba Regency Hotel, housing families who arrived amid the 1990s turmoil. Community chief Angelo Lobojo Waran says residents never received formal titles despite repeated applications. Denied Title, Slow Development Stalls Lives Without deeds, locals struggle to build durable homes, access loans, or extend utilities. Waran notes some have even buried relatives on plots they may now lose, a cultural and emotional blow complicating any relocation plan. Household List Cut from 250 to 35, Leader Claims After a 2013 filing with the Central Equatoria State Ministry of Land, Housing…

South Sudan Humanitarian Alert On United Nations Day in Juba, UN Resident Coordinator Anita Kiki Gbeho painted a stark picture: 9.3 million South Sudanese require assistance, nearly three-quarters of the population. The figure underscores how conflict and climate shocks continue to shape daily survival. Displacement Pressures Escalate More than 320,000 people have been newly displaced inside South Sudan since January, Gbeho noted. In addition, 1.2 million refugees fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan have crossed the border, stretching already thin services in Upper Nile, Unity and other frontier states. Funding Gaps and Access Hurdles UN agencies say economic shocks and…

Groundbreaking Signals New Urban Era Central Equatoria State ceremonially began building Gumbo Village Market on Friday, unlocking an eight-million-dollar investment designed to decongest Juba’s packed stalls. Governor Rabi Mujung Emmanuel hailed the site as ‘a heartbeat for tomorrow’s economy,’ arguing that orderly commerce is impossible without modern infrastructure (speech at ceremony). Design and Funding at a Glance According to the State Ministry of Trade and Industry, the covered complex will host 1,200 stalls, cold-chain stores, parking bays and sanitation blocks, financed through a public-private venture with Gumbo Holdings Limited and monitored by the Ministry of Finance. Officials estimate construction will…

Special tribunal resumes in Juba The fourteenth sitting opened under tight security at the judiciary complex in Juba, with prosecution and defense benches fully represented. Two of the eight defendants, identified as the fourth and sixth, stayed away for medical reasons, yet advocate Deng John Deng assured the bench that cross-examination could proceed. Bench rejects preliminary motions Presiding judges delivered an early ruling that dismissed defense requests for additional documents and extended medical leave. The panel said the case title supplied by lawyers—“The Republic of South Sudan versus Puot Kang and Seven Others”—was misleading, instructing counsel to amend and refile…

Torit Authorities Act on Resource Security Eastern Equatoria’s Council of Ministers has moved to halt unlicensed extraction after intelligence flagged heightened risks. Information Minister Elia John Ahaji disclosed that foreigners and non-indigenous operators were active in remote forests, raising alarms about community safety and uncontrolled depletion of timber and minerals. Foreign Presence in Forests Sparks Alarm Ahaji told journalists in Torit that the government is “surprisingly aware” of outsiders scattered across all forested counties. Officials worry that unscreened mobility could mask trafficking routes and spark clashes between artisanal crews and villages already coping with fragile post-conflict stability. Key Provisions of…

Defections Rock Western Equatoria Political tremors shook Yambio after reports that four senior SPLM-IO figures shifted allegiance to President Salva Kiir’s SPLM-IG. Local observers say the surprise realignment unsettled an already fragile coalition government formed under the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement. Order No. 01/2025 Reshapes Local Power Deputy Governor Justin Joseph Marona signed Order No. 01/2025, terminating the mandates of Rubben Amaai, Lino Fataki, John Mirihewari and John Nambazia. “You cannot serve two masters,” an aide commented, arguing that official posts allotted to SPLM-IO cannot be retained after crossing party lines. Peace Deal Power-Sharing Tested The dismissed positions—two county commissioners,…

High-Level Inspection Visit Health Minister Sarah Cleto Rial travelled to Northern Bahr el Ghazal this week to examine the newly inaugurated Madhol Field Hospital, a 100-bed facility financed and built by the United Arab Emirates. The trip marked the first official assessment mission from Juba since the hospital opened in March 2025, roughly 64 kilometres from the Sudanese border. Operational Readiness Review Rial’s team inspected emergency, intensive care, theatre and laboratory units, measuring them against national benchmarks for staffing, equipment and infection control. She noted a need for a fuller picture of medicine stocks and cold-chain reliability before certifying full…

Rising Tension Returns to Jonglei Waters At 4 a.m. Friday, gunfire cracked across Bothagany Island, a fishing ground wedged between South Sudan’s Duk and Twic East counties. Witnesses report dozens feared dead after armed youth from Twic East confronted Hol youth from Duk, reigniting a dispute that has simmered for years. County Commissioner John Chatim Ruei from Duk confirmed the clash, stating that his youth repulsed the attackers. Exact casualty figures remain unclear, yet the brief battle underscores how fragile informal ceasefires around Jonglei waterways have become. Contested Ground and Unfinished Resolutions Bothagany and nearby Lang were flagged as neutral…