Advocacy groups demand investigation into rights violations in South Sudan

Advocacy groups are calling on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to step up efforts in monitoring and investigating ongoing human rights violations and breaches of humanitarian law in the country. Two leading civil society organizations, the Pan-African Peacemakers Alliance (PAPA) and the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), have urged UNMISS to […]
No more delays: Civil society presses government to deliver 2026 elections

Civil society leader Edmund Yakani has welcomed President Salva Kiir’s recent commitment to holding national elections in December 2026, calling it a crucial step toward democratic transition in South Sudan. However, he warned that without genuine political will, institutional readiness, and sufficient resources, the elections could once again be postponed. Yakani was responding to a […]
Yakani condemns killing of Tombura church leader

The Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has strongly condemned the recent killing of a Catholic Church leader in Tombura County, Western Equatoria State. In a statement extended to Standard Zone News, Yakani described the killing as a criminal act and a gross violation of human rights. “I would […]
Azande King urges South Sudanese tribes to preserve cultural heritage

The King of the Azande Kingdom, Atoroba Peni Rikito Gbudue, urged all South Sudanese tribes to actively promote and preserve their cultural heritage as a pathway to national unity and enduring peace. In his address at the opening of the three-day Pojulu Cultural Festival in Juba, the Azande monarch underscored the vital role of cultural […]
Unity in diversity shines at Juba’s Pojulu cultural festival

The 2025 Pojulu Cultural Festival in Juba has electrified the city, offering a refreshing escape from economic challenges and political tensions. Held at Rocky City’s playground, the three-day event has drawn thousands of citizens, offering a much-needed respite from the nation’s economic challenges and political tensions. Thousands of South Sudanese, mostly youths adorned in traditional […]
Quartet demands immediate end to hostilities in South Sudan

A coalition of regional and international bodies has issued a joint statement expressing alarm over the escalating political and security crisis in South Sudan. The African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), […]
Leaders reach consensus to nominate Machar’s replacement

The High-Level Standing Committee (HLSC) overseeing South Sudan’s peace agreement has reached a critical decision to nominate a replacement for detained SPLM-IO chairman Dr. Riek Machar. The decision follows a high-stakes meeting in Juba on Thursday, marking a pivotal shift in the leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO) by recognizing Stephen Par Kuol […]
UNSC urges unity gov’t to prepare for 2026 poll

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has called on the government of South Sudan to organize an inclusive, transparent, and credible election in December 2026. The Council made the call during its meeting on the status of South Sudan held on May 8, 2025, in which it extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission […]
CES suspends land allotment after residents clash with worshipers

Following a clash between worshippers and residents, Central Equatoria State (CES) has suspended land allotment activities in the disputed area around St. Stephen Church, Munuki. Dispute over the land in question started last month when CES started demolishing structures at the surrounding of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), asserting that the land belongs […]
Gov’t orders mandatory local currency banking

In a move to address money laundering, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Bank of South Sudan has directed all traders to deposit their bulk cash holdings into banks by noon CAT on Friday, May 9th, 2025. In a circular signed by Dr. Abraham Telar, acting commissioner for Financial Intelligence Unit, the directive is […]