LAKES STATE – Gunshots, screams and chaos. What started as a peaceful night soon became a nightmare for residents of a cattle camp in Maper, Lakes State.

Jolted awake by armed youth storming the camp in the middle of the night, these vulnerable families had no chance to defend themselves, protect their homes, or their livestock. 

Within minutes, 12 people were dead and more than 30 injured. Their stolen cattle disappeared into the nearby bush with the marauding gang.

Unfortunately, these kinds of attacks are common in South Sudan. That is why the United Nations peacekeeping mission has established temporary bases in conflict hotspots across the country to help deter and rapidly respond to violence. 

And it is exactly what UN peacekeepers from Nepal at a base in Maper did on that terrible night. 

"When we heard the gunshots at around 2 AM, we immediately activated our remote crisis operation room, together with the Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Rumbek,” said Major Jhapendra Chaudhary, the commander of the Temporary Operating Bas. "We quickly dispatched 22 soldiers and two armored vehicles to the source of the gunfire to patrol and assert dominance over the area, ensuring the security of civilians." 

They swiftly secured the cattle camp and the nearby primary health care center to protect the injured and terrified civilians gathered there.

It was a horrific scene with eight children among the dead and 31 other residents severely wounded.

The Nepali medical team, led by Dr. Suman Basnet, also rushed to provide urgent medical assistance.

"Upon arrival, we found severe injuries, mostly to limbs, with more critical cases involving abdomen, back, and head injuries," recounts Dr. Basnet. "We immediately administered emergency first aid to make sure that no more lives would be lost." 

In the tragedy of it all, the doctor shares a moment he will never forget. 

"One child I was treating was bleeding profusely from a serious head wound, yet he kept pointing insistently towards a less severely injured woman nearby. Through a translator, we learned that the woman was his older sister, and he wanted us to prioritize treating her over himself. This kind of selflessness deeply moved me." 

The critically injured victims were quickly evacuated to Rumbek Hospital for further medical care. 

In the aftermath, many residents have chosen to remain close to the temporary base, recognizing it as a safe haven at a time of growing tensions and violence, not only in Maper, but across the country. 

The peacekeepers have also intensified their efforts to provide a protective presence well beyond the base so that these survivors can return safely to their homes to live the peaceful life that they deserve.