Juba - “His absence in our lives is immeasurable as is his continued presence that will always inform the way that we move through the world.” The enormous loss of Nicholas Haysom has resonated around the world but is felt most keenly by those closest to him. Rebecca Haysom perfectly captured the essence of her father who passed away last week, after serving as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations…

Institutions are tested in times of crisis. For South Sudan’s mine action sector, ongoing conflicts over the past two decades have disrupted operations, displaced communities, and placed renewed strain on national systems. Amid these challenges, the need for a strong, nationally led mine action authority became even more urgent. In 2006, the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) was formally established by Presidential Decree as the national body…

SRSG and Head of UNMIK Peter Due met with Third Deputy Prime Minister for Minority Issues and Cooperation Fikrim Damka, to discuss the situation of communities in Kosovo. The conversation focused on representation and participation in institutions, the use of official languages, and the important role of the Office for Community Support and the Language Commissioner. The SRSG reaffirmed the importance of strengthening institutional frameworks…

Thanks to an intervention by MONUSCO peacekeepers, alerted and supported by customary authorities, fourteen people who had been taken hostage during an attack by CODECO militiamen in the village of Lidha, Djugu, on March 21, have been released. This release was made possible by the intensification of MONUSCO’s operations in the area. For about a week now, six mobile military bases have been deployed in the territories of Djugu and Irumu as part…

Retreat Operational Cell of the Contact and Coordination Group (CCG) held its annual strategic retreat from 23-27 February 2026, Kampala.

A specialist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team from UNIFIL’s Italian contingent safely disposed of an armed drone that had crashed – under circumstances still under investigation – amid heavy exchanges of fire along a section of the road between UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura and Al Mansouri earlier this week. In accordance with UNIFIL’s operational procedures, the EOD team was deployed to the crash site on 23 March, and prior to the safe…

Western Equatoria – As dawn breaks over Duduma, a community near Yambio, parents and local leaders gather under mango trees. Their focus is how to better protect their children so that they have the opportunity they deserve to reach their full potential in life. Duduma Chairperson, Gloria Daniel, voiced the community’s collective concern about one of the gravest challenges faced by children. “We’re facing troubling cases of sexual violence…

The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), in collaboration with the Embassy of Colombia in Senegal, UN WOMEN, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), and the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC), hosted on 25 of March a high-level virtual dialogue titled “Promoting South-South Cooperation: Women Peacebuilders Inter-Regional Dialogue.” The dialogue brought together over 150 women…

JONGLEI – “Regardless of the mistakes a person may make or the crimes they commit, they should always be recognized as human beings deserving of compassion and understanding.” This compelling message from UN Police Officer, Mwewa Musonda, captured the spirit of the training provided by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to strengthen the capacity of local prison officers to pursue justice in line with international standards, including…

The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is stepping up its operations in Ituri. Since March 22, 2026, six mobile military bases have been deployed in the territories of Djugu and Irumu as part of Operation “ Nyundo II” which has been underway since early February. In these areas, still plagued by armed violence, several armed groups continue to pose a major threat to civilians. In…