Kiir urges new security chiefs to tackle national challenges

President Salva Kiir has called on newly appointed top security officials to prioritize addressing the pressing challenges facing South Sudan. During a swearing-in ceremony on Monday, President Kiir urged Madut Dut Yel, the new Presidential Advisor on National Security, and Thoi Chany Reat, the newly appointed Director General of the General Intelligence Bureau, to show […]
Behind the silence: South Sudanese journalists struggle for access to information

William Maduok, a journalist with KING MEDIA in South Sudan, knows too well the cost of pursuing public interest stories in a country where media freedom is frequently undermined. Last year, he was assigned to investigate a sensitive case involving a powerful institution. Though he withholds its name for fear of reprisal, his experience speaks […]
Peace monitoring body condemns devastating airstrike on MSF Hospital

A devastating airstrike on Old Fangak County in Jonglei State over the weekend has drawn strong condemnation from the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC). The bombing destroyed market and the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital, killing several civilians and injured many others, the charity provider, MSF said in a statement on Saturday. In […]
Military orders release of hijacked barges as river transport crisis deepens

The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) has accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), along with elements of the White Army, of hijacking United Nations barges and boats belonging to Sudanese businessmen, ordering their immediate and unconditional release. According to a statement issued by SSPDF spokesperson Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, the hijackings occurred […]
Calm returns to Tonj South, after deadly inter-communal fights

Calm is gradually returning to Tonj South of Warrap State after deadly inter-communal fighting that claimed fifteen civilians’ lives and 16 others wounded, the government said. Speaking to the Standard Zone new on Friday, the state Information Minister and Government Spokesperson, James Ayiek Bath said clashes between armed civilians have ceased but situation remains tense. […]
South Sudan resumes crude oil exports after year-long halt

The Government of South Sudan has announced the resumption of crude oil exports to the international market after more than a year of suspension. The export halt was triggered by the outbreak of war in neighboring Sudan, which severely damaged key oil pipelines that transport South Sudan’s crude through Sudan to Port Sudan on the […]
Chaos as economic debate heats up at National Trade Forum

A heated exchange over how to address South Sudan’s fragile economy and soaring market prices took center stage at the National Trade Forum held on Monday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Juba. Tensions flared after Ladu Lukak, Chairperson of the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, and Onyoti Adigo, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, clashed […]
VP Taban proposes firing squad for corrupt officials

South Sudan’s First Vice President and Chairperson of the Infrastructure Cluster, Taban Deng Gai, has proposed a radical measure of executing corrupt government officials by firing squad. Speaking during closing of National Trade Forum on Monday, April 28, in Juba, Taban framed the extreme proposal as a necessary step to combat the rampant corruption he […]
South Sudan lacks legal framework to regulate alcohol imports- SSNBS

Executive Director of South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS), Gloria Nyoka, has defended the institution against criticism of its failure to prevent the entry of harmful alcohol into the country. Speaking at the National Trade Forum on Monday in Juba, Nyoka cites that there are no available legal frameworks in South Sudan to regulate […]
Why Juba favors legal action over dialogue with fractured SPLM-IO

The transitional government has shifted its approach to resolving disagreements with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), opting for legal proceedings over further dialogue. Government spokesperson Michael Makuei, said on Saturday, April 26, that this decision follows a series of unsuccessful dialogues which led to the recent clashes in Nasir and Ulang counties of […]