Author: The South Sudan Herald

Djibouti Arbitration Ruling in London The London Court of International Arbitration ruled that Djibouti’s port authority owes no compensation to DP World, erasing a US$1 billion claim and charging the Emirati operator for costs. Djibouti officials hailed the outcome as validation of national sovereignty. Origins of the Contract Breakdown In February 2018 Djibouti unilaterally ended a 30-year concession granting DP World control of container operations at Doraleh. Earlier tribunals sided with the company, awarding US$685 million, but the state resisted payment while seeking new terms. Legal experts say the split decisions reveal a layered governance model where the authority, the…

Hunger Indicator Flashes Red South Sudan, barely fifteen years old, is battling a perfect storm of conflict, climate shock and economic collapse. Food agencies warn that over seven million people teeter on the edge of starvation, a proportion unrivalled outside active warzones. The World Food Programme (WFP) calls the situation a critical tipping point, echoing alerts issued during the 2011 famine in Somalia. For many households, a single meal of sorghum has become a luxury. Power Struggles Driving Insecurity President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar signed a 2018 power-sharing deal, yet rival troops remain largely unreintegrated. Skirmishes in…

El Fasher Siege Forces Pastor’s Escape Rev’d Daramali Abudigin, the last Christian minister still serving in El Fasher, escaped his besieged St Matthew Episcopal Church in mid-September after armed men stormed the sanctuary, killing two worshippers and injuring several more (Religion News Service). He had stayed since RSF fighters began confronting Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023, maintaining daily prayers during months of shelling. After the attack, Anglican supporters in the UK funded an airlift that finally removed Abudigin and forty civilians from the city’s outskirts. Rapid Support Forces and Humanitarian Blockade The RSF encircled El Fasher in May 2024,…

Presidential Decree Shakes Upper Nile Late Friday, national TV interrupted programming to read two terse decrees from President Salva Kiir. The first relieved Major-General James Koang Chuol of his Upper Nile mandate. The second installed Jacob Dollar Ruot, effective immediately, under articles 165(1)(b) and 106(8)(2)(a) of the transitional constitution. Motives Kept Behind Closed Doors No official explanation accompanied the reshuffle. State House advisors simply framed the move as part of “ongoing efforts to consolidate peace” in a region battered by militia clashes since last year. Koang’s Brief, Turbulent Tenure Koang took office in March after the White Army militia overran…

Presidential Directive Ignites Change In Juba, electricity bills are poised to drop after President Salva Kiir ordered tariffs cut from 1 November 2025, a move welcomed by households and entrepreneurs alike. Juba Electricity Distribution Company project manager James Akwi confirmed that the presidential order will be fully respected, describing it as ‘a consumer-centered milestone’ during a media briefing. Tech Teams Race Against Clock Engineers have begun reconfiguring vending software and smart meters to accommodate the new prices, a task Akwi says requires meticulous code adjustments and field tests but remains ‘well on schedule’. Parallel to the software work, JEDCO is…

Mombasa Port: Lifeline for South Sudan Cargo For land-locked South Sudan, Kenya’s Mombasa Port remains the shortest salt-water doorway to world markets. Nearly ten percent of the hub’s transit volume—about 1.1 million tonnes a year—heads north to Juba, second only to Uganda in traffic share (Business Daily). Foodstuffs, beverages and light manufactures dominate the consignments, illustrating how the port underpins South Sudanese consumer supply chains. Price Tag Pain: The US$5,000 Container Fee Juba contends that a mandatory US$5,000 deposit per container—levied to guarantee return of empty boxes—distorts costs and discourages scale economies. South Sudan’s Ambassador to Kenya, Anthony Kon, told…

Special Court Sets the Stage A special hybrid court reconvened in Juba to hear treason charges against First Vice-President Riek Machar and seven associates, accused of masterminding March 2025 attacks in Nasir that killed senior officers (court filing). Presiding Judge James Alala Deng accepted four key prosecution exhibits and adjourned proceedings to 6 October 2025, promising space for cross-examination of investigators and accused alike. Immunity Claim Sparks Legal Debate Machar, 73, told investigators he rejects the justice ministry’s committee, insisting ceasefire violations fall under the international CTSAM structure and that, as vice-president, he enjoys constitutional immunity. Prosecutors counter that earlier…

Fleeing Gunfire into Forests Gunfire echoed across Nagero County last week, sending entire villages racing into dense forest. Community leaders estimate hundreds of households now shelter beneath trees, cut off from markets, clinics and clean water, and living on wild leaves. Mothers Deliver Without Midwives Several pregnant women went into labour along muddy footpaths, far from trained midwives. One displaced resident said mothers ‘are giving birth in the rain with nothing but plastic sheets’, adding that newborns face cold nights and mosquito swarms. Local volunteers fashioned crude cradles from branches, yet complications such as bleeding or infection remain largely unmanaged,…

High-Level Meeting Highlights Coordination On Wednesday, Acting Governor Justin Joseph Marona hosted chairpersons of Western Equatoria State’s independent commissions at the State Secretariat, marking the first collective review of their mandates since his appointment. Independent Bodies Address Shared Challenges The conversation, described by Marona as “a joyful moment,” focused on aligning human rights, anti-corruption, relief, conflict resolution and HIV/AIDS programmes with the state’s overarching development agenda in order to accelerate cohesive service delivery. Leaders Reaffirm Public-Service Pledge Commission heads, including newly appointed Human Rights Chair Magrate Fozia Emmanuel, emphasised their pledge to serve citizens with integrity, noting that equitable access…

Midnight Theft Rocks Turalei Market Turalei, the commercial heartbeat of Twic County, jolted awake at 1 a.m. when thieves forced a shop’s padlock and escaped with SSP 18 million in cash and assorted goods, authorities confirmed Friday (Eye Radio). Arrest of Night Patrol Unit County Commissioner John Mabior Marup ordered the immediate detention of the sixteen joint-force officers assigned to protect the market. He stated the team will face investigation for alleged dereliction of duty after promising vendors constant vigilance. Trader’s Loss and Community Concern The targeted shop belongs to Sudanese businessman Adam Salaman Adam, who had stored the day’s…