For the first time in years, the sound of gunfire has given way to children playing, farmers tending their fields and families repairing their homes in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State.
After years of violence that displaced thousands and left entire communities abandoned, signs of recovery are beginning to emerge. While security challenges remain, more families are returning home, planting crops and rebuilding their lives.
Standing beside her flourishing maize field, Martha Victor Sukangi, a widow and mother of six, says the difference compared to previous years is remarkable.
“Armed groups used to move around here, but this year is much better,” she says. “Now you can travel several miles to places like Muzungu. My brother is farming in Mubaiku. You can see our maize growing. There are no gunshots, no reports of women or children being killed. That has not happened this year.”
Tambura became one of South Sudan’s worst conflict hotspots in 2021, when fighting between armed groups and intercommunal violence forced thousands of residents to flee. Many families lost their homes, farms and livelihoods, while humanitarian access became increasingly difficult.
Although the situation has not fully stabilized, improved security is encouraging displaced families to begin returning home.
One of them is Edwin Anibie, who recently returned to repair the house he was forced to abandon.
“When the United Nations peacekeepers patrol here, it gives us confidence,” he says. “We feel safe enough to move around again. That is why I came back to clean and repair our home. Seeing people moving freely encourages others to return as well.”
Maintaining that confidence, however, remains essential to sustaining the fragile peace.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) regularly deploys long-duration peacekeeping patrols to Tambura and surrounding communities to help improve security, support local peace efforts and create conditions that enable humanitarian organizations to reach vulnerable people.
According to Tambura County Commissioner Mathew Mabenge, the presence of peacekeepers also deters criminal activity.
“The patrols are very important. Sometimes criminals are on the roads, but when they see UNMISS, they become afraid,” he says.
Since closing its temporary base in Tambura, UNMISS has continued supporting local peacebuilding efforts through regular patrols and close collaboration with community leaders, churches and humanitarian partners.
“One positive outcome we have seen is that some families are making temporary returns to their homes,” says Njoki Rahab Kinyanjui, Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Yambio.
“Our patrols are designed to build confidence among communities. Whenever we deploy to Tambura, we establish a temporary operating base that also provides a secure environment for humanitarian partners to deliver assistance and support livelihoods for returning communities.”
Despite these encouraging developments, the recovery remains fragile. Many roads still require rehabilitation, livelihoods need rebuilding, and some displaced families are waiting for greater confidence before returning home permanently.
Even so, the sight of green maize fields, repaired houses and children once again playing freely offers hope that communities devastated by years of conflict are beginning to reclaim their future.
For residents like Martha Victor Sukangi, these everyday moments are powerful reminders that peace is slowly taking root and that, with continued security and support, more families may soon be able to return home.
“Now we can farm. That is what gives us hope,” she says.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).