Author: The South Sudan Herald

High-Stakes Trial in Juba Beneath the glare of Juba’s special court, prosecutors have spent weeks tracing the violent March 2025 seizure of Nasir garrison to suspended First Vice President Riek Machar. Monday’s twelfth hearing added fresh detail, yet the defense insists the narrative remains stitched together with speculative threads. Court Hears Investigator Testimony Lead investigator Maj. Gen. Basilio Thomas Wani told judges that Machar personally approved county teams which later mobilised the White Army militia against South Sudan People’s Defence Forces positions in Nasir and Ulang, Upper Nile. His chronology frames the SPLM-IO leader as the operation’s political and military…

Why Citizenship Rules Matter Today Calls for transparency in Juba have intensified as foreign nationals seek South Sudanese papers. The Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Immigration, led by Major General Elia Costa Faustino, recently outlined the only three lawful gateways to citizenship, aiming to calm public anxiety. Citizenship by Birth: Rights and Procedures Automatic citizenship applies where both parents are South Sudanese. The law equally protects a child born to a South Sudanese mother and a foreign father, but applicants must satisfy an eligibility committee through sworn court declarations, family interviews and background checks before a nationality certificate is printed.…

Youth Appeal Reverberates in Juba In Juba, representatives of Greater Tonj youth publicly asked President Salva Kiir to free Gen. Akol Koor Kuch, the former Internal Security Bureau director disarmed and confined last November. They framed the request as a call for unity and respect for legal processes. Timeline of Detention and Dismissal Security units surrounded Koor’s Nabari residence in October 2024, days after his return from medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates. By mid-November he had been relieved of his spy post, named governor of Warrap, and then sidelined, remaining under guarded house arrest. Rights Concerns Shadow the…

Health Reform Project Gains Momentum in South Sudan On Saturday, Undersecretary of Health Dr. Kennedy Ganniko briefed officials and partners on the Health Sector Transformation Project, a flagship government program designed to modernize clinics, expand services, and lift public health indicators nationwide (Eye Radio). Call for Unified Front Among Stakeholders Dr. Ganniko stressed that fragmented efforts weaken results. He urged national departments, international donors, and frontline workers to synchronize plans, share data, and speak with one voice to confront funding gaps, infrastructure deficits, and service shortfalls. Project Management Unit at the Helm The Ministry’s Project Management Unit monitors every activity…

Rumbek cultural festival unites communities Drums echoed across Lakes State as more than 10,000 residents converged on Rumbek for a cultural peace festival organised by the Rumbek Youth and Sports Association with backing from Norwegian People’s Aid. The event marked the World Day for Cultural Diversity and aimed to heal intercommunal wounds. Songs, dance and sport rebuild trust Teams from Rumbek East, Wulu and Rumbek Centre swapped rivalry for football, volleyball and Dinka dances. Shared laughter replaced suspicion as youths exchanged jerseys and lyrics, illustrating Executive Director Abbas Mayek Mayen’s belief that culture can break stereotypes faster than any negotiation…

Chinese CSR Investment in Gwudugge When waters rose last month, residents watched anxiously. The new concrete channel, funded by Zhong Zhou International, held firm, guiding torrents away from homes. Embassy chargé d’Affaires Huo Ying called the performance “proof that targeted projects can change lives overnight.” Ying told villagers that Chinese companies “value the neighbourhoods hosting our businesses.” She framed the six-month build as corporate social responsibility rather than charity, stressing long-term partnership between Juba County communities and Chinese investors. Community Voices on Flood Relief Community chairman Martin Sooka David recalled waist-deep floods that once stranded pupils and spoiled harvests. “We…

A Historic Milestone for Juba’s Catholics St. John the Baptist Chapel in Juba buzzed with anticipation as congregants gathered for the archdiocese’s first Mass celebrated entirely in the Chollo language. Held under the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, the liturgy drew clergy, parishioners and a sizeable Chollo diaspora, turning an ordinary Saturday into a landmark for linguistic inclusion within South Sudan’s Catholic community. Vernacular Worship and Church Inclusivity Assistant parish priest Fr. Samuel Jada framed the occasion as a testament to the Church’s universality, noting that ‘every language, every culture, every people finds a home at the altar’ (The Dawn). He…

Rising Toll Amid Fragile Calm South Sudan’s struggle with gun violence resurfaced in 2024, as 755 people lost their lives across 234 incidents, according to a new report by the One Citizen Network for Democracy. The findings suggest that the revitalized 2018 peace deal brought only partial relief, leaving communities vulnerable to localised conflict, cattle raids and brazen highway ambushes. Toll on Civilians, Soldiers and Traders OCND’s Truth Lab tallied 657 civilian deaths, 81 soldiers and 17 foreign nationals, many of them traders attacked while moving goods. Men comprised the vast majority of victims, yet 43 women and 18 children…

Justice Minister’s Order Sparks Debate On Wednesday, South Sudan’s Justice Minister Joseph Geng Akech Geng lifted a seven-month closure on Freedom Hotel and approved bail for its owner and staff, citing lack of legal grounds for continued detention or business shutdown. Forensic Results and Bail Timeline According to a ministerial memo, investigators received Nairobi-based forensic results in June 2025, confirming that three sisters from one family died in room 21 on 28 March. The minister said investigations had formally closed that month. Defense attorneys then made several unsuccessful bail bids before the Director of Public Prosecutions finally granted release, only…

Community Voices Shape Conservation Agenda A packed meeting in Tore Payam gathered traditional chiefs, state wildlife officers, Enjojo Foundation staff, and local officials. After hours of debate, all sides endorsed ongoing wildlife protection, provided that decisions start at the village level and remain accountable to residents. “The project must be community-driven,” explained Salah Aggrey, Secretary General of the Land Committee. “Our people stay part of every decision.” His words echoed throughout the hall, underscoring a collective insistence on ownership rather than top-down directives. Demand for Inclusive Memorandum of Understanding Participants welcomed the existing MoU between Enjojo Foundation and the national…