Author: The South Sudan Herald

Faith Leaders Urged to Guide South Sudan Standing before Stone International Church in Juba, Senior Presidential Advisor Adut Salva Kiir asked pastors to confront, in her words, “demonic powers” weakening South Sudan’s cohesion. She argued that clergy once dominated moral debate and should again shape the nation’s conscience during flooding, conflict and political fatigue. Spiritual Framing of Political Strains Linking multiple crises to a spiritual battle, Adut warned that material policy alone cannot overcome deepening mistrust. “We are dealing with strife, floods, war and divisive politics,” she said, insisting that sustained prayer can “lead us out.” Call for Unity Beyond…

Late-Day Attack on Busy Trade Route Police in Western Bahr el Ghazal confirm that a Land Cruiser carrying passengers and goods from Wau to Juba came under fire Friday evening on the Wau-Tonj road, wounding two women. Eyewitness Details and Immediate Casualties State police spokesperson Major Santino Udul Mayen reports that gunmen described as SPLA-IO loyalists under Major General Bol Wek opened a sudden volley, striking one victim in the back and another across the right-hand fingers. Hospital Response and Ongoing Investigation Both survivors reached Wau Teaching Hospital, where doctors say their conditions are stable after emergency surgery; meanwhile detectives…

Rising Tensions for Advocacy Leader Ter Manyang Gatwech, head of the Center for Peace and Advocacy, says South Sudan’s security services are preparing an arrest order in retaliation for his outspoken criticism of government spending and human rights practices. Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, he cited a confidential tip from within the National Security Service that a signature could authorise his detention at any moment. Mounting Pressure on Civil Society in Juba Gatwech reports persistent late-night calls tracking his whereabouts, describing them as part of a wider intimidation campaign against activists, journalists and human-rights defenders. He maintains he is no outlaw,…

Living Among Tombstones in Juba At sunset, small fires flicker between gravestones in Hai Malakal cemetery, children weave through headstones while laundry dries on marble slabs; the graveyard has evolved into an unlikely neighbourhood alive with routine. For more than 9,000 displaced, widowed or impoverished residents, cemeteries across Juba offer a last refuge after conflict, evictions and soaring rents stripped them of conventional housing, turning burial grounds into makeshift dormitories. Roots of Juba’s Housing Crisis Years of armed conflict swelled the capital’s population while infrastructure investment lagged, creating a mismatch between demand and supply of affordable dwellings. A single room…

Historic appointment reshapes Anglican leadership The Church of England made global headlines by naming Dame Sarah Mullally, 63, as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. The former chief nurse becomes the first woman to hold the communion’s senior post, ending a year-long vacancy after Justin Welby’s resignation. South Sudanese Anglicans voice doctrinal caution Archbishop Justin Badi Arama of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan acknowledged the milestone yet labelled the new leadership ‘unbiblical and unorthodox’ because of Mullally’s open support for blessing same-sex couples, restating his province’s commitment to traditional teachings on marriage. Global South Fellowship stance remains firm In a…

Improved Security Draws Families Home Relative calm across Nasir County has encouraged displaced families to leave Ethiopia and other parts of South Sudan and return home, according to County Commissioner James Gatwech Jok. Officials estimate thousands have resettled in Nasir town, quickly stretching modest reserves of grain and cooking oil as households rebuild their lives. Supply Chains Struggle to Reach Nasir Town While the World Food Programme has air-dropped rations to remote payams, no recent shipment has reached the densely populated town itself. Gatwech notes that barges scheduled to navigate the Sobat River remain delayed, leaving storehouses in the county…

Two-Week Polio Drive Begins in Abyei Health officials in the Abyei Administrative Area rolled out a two-week polio vaccination push on Friday, marking the latest routine immunisation round designed to shield every child under five from the crippling virus. The exercise stretches from Abyei town into the four administrative counties, reflecting what officials view as a zone-wide commitment to stop any potential outbreak before it starts. Minister Yohana Akol Ngor Details Strategy Abyei Minister of Information and Communication Yohana Akol Ngor told Eye Radio the programme ‘targets children from one day old to five years old’ and enjoys technical backing…

Juba Conference Sparks Legal Overhaul After three intense days in Juba, elders, chiefs, scholars and youth from South Sudan’s Nuer community agreed to harmonise divergent customary laws on marriage, dowry and compensation. Delegates said uniform rules will reduce confusion and restore fairness across eastern and western Nuer sections. Dowry Inflation Under Spotlight Speakers highlighted the soaring bride price that now reaches 120–200 cows, each valued at roughly 200 USD. Chairman James Hoth Mai called the escalation unsustainable, warning that it pushes many young men into informal unions and fuels social instability. Delegates therefore endorsed a benchmark of 200 USD per…

Defection Signals Shifting Loyalties Nine members of the SPLA-IO, led by Brigadier-General Taban Daniel Dominic, crossed into the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, according to local officials. Officials said eight other officers and enlisted personnel followed the brigadier, lifting the total to nine defectors acknowledged by county authorities. Claims of Fragmented Leadership In a Magwi press briefing, Gen. Taban accused the SPLA-IO of privileging the personal ambitions of Dr. Riek Machar over frontline welfare, describing leadership as “self-serving” and beset by rivalry. He argued that repeated splits had drained cohesion from Sector 9 forces…

Fresh Clashes Displace Hundreds in Nagero Gunfire before dawn on 27 September ripped through Nagero County, Western Equatoria. SPLA-IO fighters struck an SSPDF barracks at 5:30 a.m., prompting soldiers and civilians to scatter. Community representatives say entire households fled into dense bush, carrying little more than children and urgent prayers for safety. By mid-morning, silence replaced the clashes, yet fear kept residents hidden. Witnesses report one government soldier wounded, but the civilian toll remains uncertain. Informal counts suggest several injuries during the chaotic flight, with some victims still unreachable because footpaths are monitored by armed groups. Women, Children and Elderly…