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STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / TAMBURA PATROL RETURNEES
TRT: 03:35
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / AZANDE / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 JUNE 2026, TAMBURA, WESTERN EQUATORIA STATE, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, UNMISS peacekeepers on patrol, farmers working in fields
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Martha Victor Sukangi, widow and mother of six:
"Armed groups used to move around here, but this year is much better. Now you can go five to seven miles to places like Muzungu. My brother is farming in Mubaiku. We are much better; you can see our maize growing. There are no gunshots, no news that someone was shot, a woman killed or a child killed. That is not there this year."
3. Various shots, UNMISS peacekeepers interacting with residents, rebuilding and cleaning activities
4. SOUNDBITE (Azande) Edwin Anibie, returnee:
"When people are moving like this, when the UN peacekeepers are patrolling, it gives us assurance and we feel happy. It allows people to move and that is why I came to clean our home. When we see movement, we feel safe and it encourages [us to] return to our houses."
5. Various shots, market, motorcycles, pedestrians
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mathew Mabenge, County Commissioner, Tambura:
"This patrol is very important for us. Sometimes when criminals are on the road and they see UNMISS, they fear."
7. Various shots, peacekeepers engaging local authorities, community leaders
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Njoki Rahab Kinyanjui, Head of Field Office, Yambio, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“Tambura as of now has some relative calm. We have identified some temporary returns, as well as some level of normalcy going back to Tambura. Since the closure of our base in Tambura, we have elevated working with our partners, especially the Inter-Church Committee – abbreviated ICC – in terms of continuing with the local peace and reconciliation efforts. And one of the fruits we have seen is that, as of now, even during the patrol that we just held, there are some temporary returns. Our patrols actually aimed to continued at building confidence among the communities. Our patrols are long-duration patrols, we are using the spoke-and-hub model, where we we establish a TOB (Temporary Operating Base) set up in tambura any time we visit.”
9. Various shots, UNMISS peacekeepers on patrol
According to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), signs of recovery are emerging in Tambura, South Sudan's Western Equatoria State, after years of conflict and displacement.
Residents are returning to their villages, rebuilding homes, and cultivating their land as security conditions improve.
Supported by long-duration patrols by UNMISS, local communities are beginning to regain confidence and resume daily life.
Residents and local authorities say the increased security presence is helping create conditions for peace, humanitarian access, and the return of displaced families.
Standing beside a field of maize, Martha Victor Sukangi, widow and mother of six, said the security situation has improved significantly.
She said, "Armed groups used to move around here, but this year is much better. Now you can go five to seven miles to places like Muzungu. My brother is farming in Mubaiku. We are much better; you can see our maize growing. There are no gunshots, no news that someone was shot, a woman killed or a child killed. That is not there this year."
Edwin Anibie, who recently came back to repair his home, said "When people are moving like this, when the UN peacekeepers are patrolling, it gives us assurance and we feel happy. It allows people to move and that is why I came to clean our home. When we see movement, we feel safe and it encourages [us to] return to our houses."
To help sustain these gains, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to conduct long-duration patrols across the area.
Local authorities say the patrols help deter criminal activity and reassure communities.
Mathew Mabenge, Tambura County Commissioner, said, "The patrol is very important. Sometimes when criminals are on the road and they see UNMISS, they fear."
For the peacekeeping mission, the patrols form part of broader efforts to support peacebuilding, strengthen community confidence, and facilitate humanitarian access.
Njoki Rahab Kinyanjui, Head of UNMISS Field Office in Yambio, said, “Tambura as of now has some relative calm. We have identified some temporary returns, as well as some level of normalcy going back to Tambura. Since the closure of our base in Tambura, we have elevated working with our partners, especially the Inter-Church Committee – abbreviated ICC – in terms of continuing with the local peace and reconciliation efforts. And one of the fruits we have seen is that, as of now, even during the patrol that we just held, there are some temporary returns. Our patrols actually aimed to continued at building confidence among the communities. Our patrols are long-duration patrols, we are using the spoke-and-hub model, where we we establish a TOB (Temporary Operating Base) set up in tambura any time we visit.”
While challenges remain, the sight of farmers tending crops, families repairing homes, and children playing freely offers a glimpse of hope for a community emerging from years of conflict.
