Western Equatoria gets first approved budget in five years

Western Equatoria State has, for the first time in nearly five years, secured an approved budget, marking a major shift in its financial governance and planning. Governor Daniel Badagbu Rimbasa on Wednesday signed the 2025/2026 fiscal year budget totaling SSP 49,286,884,305, ending a prolonged period in which the state operated without a formal spending framework. […]
Juba launches major waste campaign ahead of rainy season

Authorities in Juba have intensified efforts to tackle mounting waste and sanitation challenges, launching a major clean-up campaign aimed at reducing public health risks as the rainy season approaches. Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony on Wednesday led the rollout of dustbins in Jebel Market, a key commercial hub identified as one of the […]
Juba Bari community moves to revive fading language

In Juba, members of the Bari community have launched a grassroots initiative to rescue their language from what they describe as a steady and alarming decline, particularly among younger generations growing up in urban areas. The effort, led by the Bari Language Education Centre under the Bari Community Centre, brings together around 40 volunteers men […]
New market stalls bring fresh hope to women traders in Torit

Under the morning sun in Torit town, women traders carefully arranged tomatoes, greens and okra on clean wooden tables inside newly built market stalls a sharp change from the dusty ground where many had worked for years. For traders like Mary Luka, selling vegetables has long meant working in difficult conditions, with produce exposed to […]
Kiir administration rejects church pressure to release Dr. Machar

President Salva Kiir’s regime has pushed back against calls by the South Sudan Council of Churches to release First Vice President Riek Machar, insisting that the judicial process must proceed without interference. In a statement issued on March 17, the government said while it shares concerns raised by the church over the country’s deteriorating political, […]
Cholera and conflict drive child crisis in Jonglei—UNICEF

UNICEF has raised alarm over a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis affecting children in Jonglei State, warning that a deadly mix of escalating violence, mass displacement, and disease outbreaks is pushing vulnerable communities to the brink. In a flash update shared with Standard Zone News, the agency said ongoing clashes have forced an estimated 100,000 people […]
Bush Buse sworn in, pledges youth and sports development

Newly appointed Central Equatoria State Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Bush Buse, has pledged to promote cultural heritage, empower young people, and strengthen sports development after officially taking the oath of office in Juba on Monday. Buse was sworn in alongside several newly appointed senior officials of the Revitalized Transitional Government of Central Equatoria […]
Norwegian Church Aid leader calls for action on women’s rights in South Sudan

The Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) Country Director, Cathrine Seland, has called for stronger action to protect and promote the rights of women and girls in South Sudan. Speaking during International Women’s Day celebrations in Hai Baraka, Juba, Seland praised the dedication of communities and faith leaders who have been instrumental in advancing gender equality. “It […]
Kiir drops major reshuffle in Western Equatoria State government

President Salva Kiir Mayardit has issued a series of presidential decrees announcing a major reshuffle in the government of Western Equatoria State, relieving and appointing several state officials. The decrees, read on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation on Friday evening, affected ministers, advisors, commission chairpersons, and county commissioners within the state administration. Among those […]
Minister Atong forced to cancel 90-day Crawford Capital Pay review

The South Sudan’s Minister Trade and Industry, Atong Kuol Manyang, has officially cancelled the 90-day Administrative and Technical Review of the Crawford Capital Pay Digital Payment and E-Service System, following directives from Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga, who also chairs the Economic Cluster. The 90-day review, which was initially announced on March 5, 2026, […]