The United States Department of State issued visa restrictions against members of the South Sudan transitional government and cited Crawford Capital, Ltd., a firm that collects non-oil revenue for the government, for its role in the diversion of state funds. Continue reading “U.S. imposes visa restrictions on officials, blacklists Crawford Capital, Ltd.”
Year: 2026
Truck overturns on vendors, kills one and injures two in Leer
One person was killed and two others injured after a truck overturned and fell on roadside vendors in Leer County on Tuesday, Authorities in Unity State have confirmed to Eye Radio Tuesday.
Nyakenya Yohanis, the state government spokesperson and Minister of Information, said the victims were hawkers selling snacks by the roadside when the accident occurred.
She said a young boy died on the spot, while two others were rushed to hospital with injuries and are responding well to treatment.
“It is an unfortunate incident that happened in Leer. The young people were there, they were hawkers selling their goods on the roadside and the trailer came and fell on them,” Yohanis said.
“One died and the other two are in hospital, they are faring well. Only one young boy died,” she added.
The minister said the truck was transporting commercial goods from Juba to Leer County and belonged to a local businessman.
She confirmed that the driver and the owner of the truck have been taken into custody as investigations into the cause of the accident continue.
“The driver is detained, he is in custody now. The owner of the truck has been detained and the government has taken over the issue,” she said.
Yohanis added that tensions briefly emerged after the incident as the family of the deceased expressed anger, but authorities intervened to contain the situation.
“There was a bit of tension because the family of the young boy came and they were furious, but the commissioner has taken up the issue,” she said.
She offered condolences to the bereaved family and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Continue reading “Truck overturns on vendors, kills one and injures two in Leer”
Forty-two juvenile inmates pass primary exams at Juba central prison
Authorities at Juba Central Prison have confirmed that 42 juvenile inmates passed their primary level examinations, in what officials described as progress in the prison’s education programme.
Speaking to Eye Radio, the Director of Juba Central Prison, Anthony Oliver Legge, said the facility continues to provide learning opportunities for young inmates despite limited resources.
Legge said the prison currently operates four classes inside the male section of the facility, where lessons are conducted in coordination with the Ministry of General Education and Instruction.
“We have the primary [school programme] and 42 passed the exams for primary school. We have four classes now in the male facility,” Legge said.
“We are arranging some places and then we teach them inside the prison. And we are coordinating with the Ministry of Education,” he added.
His remarks come as national education performance figures show improvement in primary examinations across the country.
On March 5, 2026, Kuyok Abol Kuyok, the Minister of General Education and Instruction, announced the 2025 Certificate of Primary Education examination results.
According to the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, 81,431 candidates passed out of 84,506 pupils who sat for the examinations in November 2025, representing a 96.4 percent pass rate.
Education officials attributed the improved national performance to better preparation in subjects including Science and Christian Religious Education.
Prison authorities also said collaboration with the judiciary and mobile courts operating inside the prison is contributing to a gradual reduction in the inmate population.
“Despite all the effort done by the judiciary and the public prosecution, still the number is big. It’s reducing slowly even though we have three courts here, which are the mobile courts, and they are doing their best,” Legge said.
Five killed in deadly attack in Eastern Equatoria’s Budi county
At least five people, including three children, were killed and three others injured following a deadly cattle raid attack in Homiri Payam area of Budi County, Eastern Equatoria State, a local youth leader said.
Several attempts to reach county authorities, including the area commissioner and lawmakers, were unsuccessful due to poor telecommunications networks in the area.
However, in an email sent to Eye Radio earlier this week, the Budi Community Association shared photographs of the victims of the attack.
Confirming the statement, youth leader Simon Lokiru Maurice, who spoke to Eye Radio said the attack was carried out allegedly by a group of armed youth from neighboring Ikwoto County on the night of May 8, 2026.
Lokiru said the attackers raided two cattle kraals west of Chukudum and stole more than 105 heads of cattle after opening fire on residents while they were asleep.
Among those killed were three boys aged 10, five, and three years old, as well as a 60-year-old man and a 35-year-old man.
“On 8 May, Logiri warriors attacked west of Chukudum. They attacked two kraals, took the cattle, and killed three children,” Lokiru said.
“They came when people were sleeping and opened fire while the people were asleep, which is why the children were killed. All the children killed were male,” he added.
“The incident was intentional because the attackers monitored the kraals. They also knew the kraals were far from town and that the youth had no guns,” he said.
The youth leader criticized authorities in both Budi and Ikwoto counties for what he described as a lack of response to the incident.
“The people of Budi County are still in tears and there has been no response from either Budi or Ikwoto counties,” Lokiru stated.
He called on the governments of the two counties to recover the stolen cattle, identify those responsible for the killings, and ensure they are brought to justice.
“As youth, we condemn the killing of young boys. We are calling on the governments of the two counties to bring the perpetrators to the law and ensure the return of the cattle,” he said.
Lokiru added that urgent government intervention is needed to restore peace and security in the area.
“The government must respond for the sake of peace as soon as possible,” he said.
Efforts to speak to authorities in neighboring Logir area were unsuccessful.
USAP backs peace deal amendments, warns against unilateral changes
The United Sudan African Party (USAP), a signatory to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, has expressed support for ongoing efforts to amend the peace accord while cautioning against unilateral changes to key provisions without broad public consultation.
Speaking to journalists in Juba on Tuesday, USAP Interim Chairperson Joseph Malek Arop said the party recognizes the right of parties to the agreement to introduce amendments, describing the process as part of preparations toward elections.
However, Arop stressed that any amendments to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) must involve all signatory parties and be subjected to public hearings.
“The position of USAP is very clear. The peace agreement provides the parties with the right to amend it, but such amendments must be subjected to public hearings and must also be inclusive,” Arop said.
“All parties should participate in the process. If the process is unilateral, it cannot be considered a legitimate decision. This agreement was built on consensus, and one side cannot make decisions without the involvement of the other parties,” he added.
Arop specifically raised concerns over Articles 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 of the agreement, which relate to the supremacy of the peace accord.
He described the provisions as “strange” and warned that amending or repealing them without wider consultations could have serious consequences for the country.
“Yes, we support amendments to the agreement, but there are two or three provisions that are very strange, particularly those related to the supremacy of the agreement, Articles 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4,” he said.
“We are not against amendments, but these provisions and articles must be subjected to public hearings and broad consultations involving all political parties that are signatories to the agreement, because amending or repealing them could cause serious damage to South Sudan,” Arop warned.
The remarks come a day after chaotic scenes were reported in the Transitional National Legislature during the tabling of proposed amendments to the peace agreement.
Lawmakers on Monday engaged in heated exchanges and procedural disagreements after the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Michael Makuei Lueth, presented resolutions seeking amendments to three chapters and one annex of the R-ARCSS.
The parliamentary session reportedly descended into disorder as some legislators questioned both the substance of the proposed amendments and the lack of wider consultation among signatory parties and the public.
Supporters of the amendments argue the proposed changes are necessary to facilitate the implementation of pending transitional tasks and pave the way for elections.
Critics, however, fear that altering key provisions without consensus could undermine the spirit of the 2018 peace agreement.
The R-ARCSS, signed in 2018, ended years of civil conflict in South Sudan and established a transitional government tasked with implementing reforms, reunifying forces, drafting a permanent constitution, and preparing the country for democratic elections.
“We are ready to confront anybody who doubts our decision” – Martin Elia on bypassing RJMEC
The Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, says the government has decided to bypass the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), accusing the body of delaying the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement ahead of the planned December 2026 elections.
Speaking on Tuesday, Dr. Elia said President Salva Kiir had directed parties to the peace agreement to engage in dialogue and agree on the way forward toward elections.
According to him, the government is determined to proceed with the electoral process and is prepared to defend its decision to sideline the peace monitoring mechanism.
“We have very clear directives by the president that the parties to the agreement should dialogue and agree to move forward for elections and this is the way we want to do it,” Dr. Elia said.
He said the government’s move marks the beginning of a new approach toward the electoral process.
“This is the beginning of it by bypassing our Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and holding RJMEC responsible for the reasons for which the South Sudan government has decided to bypass it,” he stated.
Dr. Elia insisted the government has the sovereign authority to make decisions it believes are in the country’s best interest.
“We are ready to confront anybody who wants to doubt our decision. We have the reason, we have the sovereignty to protect our country and to move forward for elections,” he added.
He further accused RJMEC of contributing to delays in the implementation of the peace agreement, saying the government could no longer wait as preparations for the polls continue.
His remarks come as the Transitional National Legislative Assembly debates controversial amendments to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement and the Transitional Constitution of 2011 aimed at paving the way for general elections scheduled for December 22, 2026.
The proposed amendments, approved by the Council of Ministers in April, seek to remove provisions requiring the completion of a permanent constitution-making process and a national population census before elections can take place.
Lawmakers are also considering proposals to conduct the census after the elections, while allowing the National Elections Commission to use the 2010 geographical constituency boundaries during the polls.
Other proposed changes include reducing the size of the national legislature to 204 elected seats, divided equally between geographical constituencies and proportional representation.
The draft amendments would also shorten the deadline for publishing the voters’ register from six months to three months before election day and remove the “supremacy clause” that gives the 2018 peace agreement precedence over other national laws.
Government officials argue the amendments are necessary to ensure elections proceed as scheduled, while critics warn the changes could undermine key provisions of the peace agreement and weaken the transitional process.
CPA condemns peace accord amendment process, warns of renewed instability
The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) has condemned the move to ratify the amendment to the 2018 peace accord, commonly known as R-ARCSS, it said was carried out by SPLM parliamentarians in Juba.
In a statement dated 11, May, 2026, the group said the process lacked the required two-thirds majority following the withdrawal of SPLM-IO members from the sitting earlier in the day.
CPA’s Executive Director, Dieng David Ring Adol, warned that the move violates the 2018 Peace Agreement and could push the country back into conflict.
He stated that, “the amendment process violated the 2018 Peace Agreement under Article 8.4 of the R-ARCSS.”
He further warned that continued disregard for the agreement could reverse hard-won gains, saying, “Bypassing proper implementation of the peace agreement risks dragging the country back into full-scale war, which is against the interests of South Sudanese citizens.”
CPA also cautioned that South Sudan’s transition process could suffer setbacks as the country approaches general elections, noting that violations of the agreement risk eroding confidence among regional and international partners, including IGAD, the African Union, and other stakeholders.
The organization urged political leaders to embrace dialogue and inclusivity as the only path forward.
It said, “CPA urges the leadership of South Sudan to embrace genuine and inclusive dialogue as the only path to ending ongoing military confrontations in Jonglei State and other parts of the country.”
CPA further warned that failure to adhere to the peace framework could isolate the country internationally and destabilize the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU).
The agreement, signed in 2018, remains the central framework guiding South Sudan’s peace process and transition toward democratic elections.
S. Sudan forecasts light to moderate in most parts this week
Most parts of South Sudan are expected to remain dry today, although light to moderate rainfall has been forecast in parts of the eastern region.
According to the Flood and Drought Forecasting Center under the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, rainfall on Monday is expected in areas bordering Ethiopia and parts of Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, and Upper Nile states.
The ministry says rainfall accumulation will range from light showers to localized heavy rainfall in isolated areas.
The forecast indicates that rainfall activity is expected to reduce from Tuesday through Wednesday, with only scattered light showers likely in some eastern parts of the country.
Authorities say most parts of the country are expected to experience minimal rainfall and generally dry conditions by Thursday and Friday.
The ministry has advised communities in flood-prone areas to remain alert and encouraged farmers to use weather information to guide planting activities during the rainy season.
Officials also cautioned that weather conditions may change because the forecast is probabilistic in nature.
SSRA reinforces E-Permit mandate to protect revenue and trade
The South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) has reiterated its commitment to regional trade while protecting government revenue used for public services. Continue reading “SSRA reinforces E-Permit mandate to protect revenue and trade”
Rights group raises alarm over translator’s role in murder conviction
The Justice and Human Rights Observatory have criticised police investigators and court authorities for allowing a man accused of having an affair with a murder victim to serve as an interpreter during investigations and court proceedings, describing the move as a serious miscarriage of justice that contributed to a wrongful conviction. Continue reading “Rights group raises alarm over translator’s role in murder conviction”
