In the village of Akrogbode, grandmother Ana Mario is collecting clean water from a borehole for her family.

She has defied the fear and trauma caused by the ongoing conflict in this Western Equatorian community to remain with her family while hundreds of others have fled. Many have crossed nearby borders as refugees to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and the Central African Republic.

When asked about the recent signing of the revitalized peace agreement by South Sudan’s warring parties and how it will affect her life, she thinks silently for a few moments. The peace deal is positive, she says. But she isn’t optimistic that the ceasefire will hold.

“I know they signed the peace agreement, but for me and my people here, we need real peace,” says Ana Mario. “We hope not to hear gun sounds again because we have really suffered and are still suffering right up till now.”

Forty kilometers away in the payam of Rimenze, a group of young men sit under a mango tree. Most were previously active with opposition forces operating in the area. They recently abandoned their roles as fighters but are now struggling to find work.

Former teacher Moses Bakote points to the nearby school which lays in ruins because of the civil war as evidence of why he cannot support himself through peaceful means.

“Before I was a teacher,” he says. “But when the war broke out here in Western Equatoria, everyone ran away to Yambio town. I remained here alone until this group came and I joined them.”

“Yes, I know that the peace agreement was signed but I’m not sure if it is a good peace, a lasting peace, or just like the previous ones that failed. As you can see people are still reluctant to return to their villages along the road here because they still don’t feel safe,” says Moses Bakote.

In Yambio town, there is hope that the peace deal will encourage people to return to their homes. The Hai Tarawa residential area used to be bustling with families, but the area is now mostly deserted. Half of the homes are empty and compounds are overgrown with weeds.

The sub chief of the area says it used to be a peaceful place to live but the eruption of fighting in 2015 forced many residents to flee. They are yet to return.

“There has been so much insecurity in this area,” says John Mombasa. “I hope with the signing of the peace agreement, my family and everyone in the area will be able to return here and live in harmony as we did before.”

There is some optimism among traders in the town. Businessman Ali Hussein says the peace deal will allow them to extend their business activities. But he won’t be celebrating until he sees the reality of the agreement being implemented on the ground.

“Yes, it is good to have peace so that we can open up our businesses to the villages around rather than being congested in the town here,” he says. “But I’m not sure whether this peace will last or end shortly.”

His message is echoed by a fellow trader who used to travel to a weekend market 20 kilometers away on the border between South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jemo Daniel says the fighting along the main road has been a “nightmare” because it prevents him selling his own goods and purchasing from others.

“I don’t like war because it deprives the country and prevents it from progressing and developing,” he says. “I’m hoping that those who are responsible will respect our right to live in our own country without fear.”

A local civil society organization says a reduction in fighting is giving some people the confidence to return. The director of the local branch of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, Justing Mgapai, says they are witnessing a stream of the population return to their respective villages. He is urging the warring parties to abide by the spirit of the peace deal and work together to implement it. 

“When insecurity was high, there was a massive migration. Now there are good signs of stability which were, in fact, appearing before the peace deal was signed,” he says. “But there are doubts about whether this peace can be an everlasting peace without a return to war. Or is another war coming?”

While there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon, residents in this once-thriving region of South Sudan remain skeptical whether it will become a reality. For them, the long history of broken promises remains a shadow hanging over their dreams of peace and prosperity.