UN Mission in South Sudan builds new base to protect civilians

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Friday it's constructing a new temporary base in the Tambura region in South Sudan.

“This signifies a lot because we have a lot of resources and by positioning ourselves in that new temporary operating base, we can do more patrols and do more engagements, and facilitate peace mediation and peace processes on the ground," said Emmanuel Dukundane, UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer.

The mission said that since 2021, when "recurrent intercommunal violence in the Greater Tambura region escalated, numerous lives have been lost, and thousands of people have fled their homes".

It added that many civilians have sought shelter in one of the several camps for internally displaced people.

To better protect them, peacekeepers serving with UNMISS have increased their presence and intensified vehicle patrols, according to UNMISS.

South Sudan has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out after independence, and which killed nearly 400,000 people and plunged pockets of the country into famine.

The oil-rich country is plagued by corruption and relies on international aid to help feed its 11 million people – a challenge that has only grown since the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to foreign assistance.