Minagano Kape was on board the first flight to land in Bichibich in South Sudan, where a new airstrip and peace centre are bringing hope to communities blighted by
generations of conflict.
“You find young girls of 25 who are already widows because their husbands are killed in revenge,” said Minagano Kape, a Peace Building Advisor.
“When they tell you the stories of how they have to run when they hear of an attack, how they hide, and how they carry their children, it’s really sad. We really have a community that lives in so much fear.”
It was into this hotspot of conflict that Minagano flew with MAF to work on a project healing communities and breaking the painful cycle of revenge.
Jonglei State consistently has the second-highest rate of intercommunal violence and the highest rate of child abduction in South Sudan. According to the UN, from January to March 2025, intercommunal violence – the term for armed cattle raids and revenge attacks between neighbouring communities – claimed the lives of more than 158 people in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
The engagement in the remote areas of (Nanaam) Bichibich builds on a call by the communities during the Pieri peace process to establish a presence in Nanaam, a frequent site of attacks and mobilisation. MAF flights facilitated the movement of various delegates from the three communities during the Piere process.
Now, the number of attacks is beginning to fall, year on year, thanks to an approach that gives a voice to women and youths as well as the decision makers and community leaders.
Such was the excitement around the airstrip when the first MAF flight arrived; some people had walked for three hours to welcome the passengers travelling to open the new Kuyubuza peace centre.
The decision to locate the airstrip and peace centre in Bichibich, a remote and sparsely populated ‘no-man’s land’ between three warring people groups, was deliberate.
“Bichibich often bears the brunt of attacks associated with Jonglei youth mobilisation against the Murle community,” Minagano said.
A year ago, Rob Lancaster, Team Leader with the Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund (POF) reached out to MAF for help to build an airstrip to improve access to the area.
“The road infrastructure to get out to Bichibich is very limited and seasonal – so to get the teams out and working on some of the initiatives we had in mind was very challenging,” he said.
“The kilometre-long airstrip was cleared and levelled by the community. MAF were very supportive in the process. They are almost as passionate as us about getting these things working and making it possible, which makes a huge difference!”
Minagano is especially motivated by the struggles faced by women, sharing the story of a young, pregnant, widowed mother of four who has fled her home many times.
“She spoke with visible pain and frustration about the repeated attacks by the Nuer and Dinka communities. I gently shared with her that women from those communities recount similar heartbreaking experiences when Murle youth attack their villages.
“At first, it was hard for her to grasp. But as we talked, the realisation that their suffering is mutual began to shift something in her. That shared pain and mutual loss became a moment of awakening,” she said.
“When they named the centre, they chose to call it Kuyubuza – ‘I am resting.’ The elderly woman told me that they are tired of running. They no longer have the strength to flee.”
Signs of agriculture are visible as the MAF plane comes in to land. But people will only farm if they can be confident that they will be able to reap the harvest.
After several days in the community, Minagano is hopeful the project will succeed.
“With the establishment of the centre and the drilling of a borehole, a new sense of stability is emerging. Communities have begun to settle nearby, and new homes have been constructed.
The centre has become a gathering point for youth, who previously spent much of their time wandering in the bush. Now, they are increasingly drawn to the life taking shape around the centre,” she added.
MAF pilot Reuben Vermeulen is encouraged that flights to the remote community are helping to bring peace and hope of a better future.
“As a new airstrip, it can be challenging,” he said. “It was really great to meet the Peace Canal and the Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund (POF) team and hear about the work they are doing.
It is good for MAF to support initiatives like this bringing peace to the Greater Jonglei area.”
STORY / JENNY DAVIES PHOTOS / REUBEN VERMEULEN