News (Consolidated) - UNSOM | United Nations Peace Operations

A person in a light green dress stands at a small table inside a corrugated metal structure, preparing items near plastic shelves and containers.

PIBOR - Rebecca Zuagin remembers a time when simply selling tea and porridge in Pibor town was a struggle. Her small restaurant, her lifeline, faced a relentless onslaught. "The experience was painful," Rebecca recalls. "We faced challenges on two fronts: insecurity and flooding. My restaurant would…

A group of people wearing colorful patterned clothing stand outdoors in front of makeshift shelters, with one person gesturing while others listen.

KUAJOK – “It’s difficult to say how people feel. We all long for the violent outbreaks to stop but people also fear not being able to defend themselves if the worst happens.” At Manyang Kuel market, Alook Deng Akok has witnessed the conflicting sentiments of her customers about the disarmament…

A person stands beside a large-horned cow in a dusty cattle camp at sunset, with smoke rising from a fire and other cattle and people visible in the background

LAKES - In Lakes state, cattle are a form of currency, a source of wealth, and a symbol of status. Owning large herds means having a higher social standing, being able to pay a dowry for marriage, and never going hungry. While these animals are precious, they are also a driver of violence…

A person in camouflage uniform uses a stethoscope to examine another person wearing a turquoise garment with intricate embroidery during a medical check-up indoors

BOR - Mary Ajah Deng has been battling diabetes lately. Her vision is blurry and wounds on her leg are healing far too slowly, preventing her from walking. Her 17-year-old daughter must balance taking care of her with going to school. Mary was among 135 patients treated for non-communicable diseases…

Four people stand and sit outside a building with red brick walls and bright blue metal doors, engaged in conversation near the entrance

TORIT – “Our lives have turned from bad to better.” Alimu Robert Godfrey is one of 107 young people, including 35 women, benefiting from an initiative to improve opportunities to find jobs and build businesses as well as prevent their involvement in conflict across South Sudan. He learned new skills…

A person in camouflage uniform hands a leaflet to a seated vendor at an outdoor market stall with fruits and vegetables displayed on a mat

As day breaks at the United Nations base in Wau, dozens of peacekeepers are already bustling about, preparing for an important patrol to remote Deim Zubeir in the north-western corner of South Sudan. Their mission is to assess the security and humanitarian situation in an area plagued by severe food…

Several people seated at a table indoors during a meeting, with notebooks, papers, and water bottles spread across the table.

WARRAP STATE – “Where is Angelo?” It’s been three years since they met, with the last one, without tiring fighting, having rendered Anguei Angelo Madit unrecognizable even to his old friends. In 2022, during an outbreak of violence around the South Kiir River in Twic County, south of Abyei, a…

A person in camouflage uniform kneels beside an outdoor cooking area, handing something to another person near a fire with pots and a pan in front of traditional huts

WESTERN EQUATORIA – Once, almost 400 people called Mosso, some 50 kilometers from Tambura, home. Isolation and years of insecurity-induced displacement have reduced the current population to 15 hardy souls. “Killings and ambushes created fear and made this happen,” says one of them, Rebecca Evariste…

JUBA - As South Sudan approaches 14 years of independence, I reiterate the United Nations’ ongoing support to the country and its people. This year’s Independence Day offers South Sudan’s leaders a renewed opportunity to prioritize the rights, dignity and safety of every citizen by returning to…