State news

It's never dull spending time in Yambio, especially as Ivan has been here since October and is handling the day-to-day superbly well. It means I can stress less about replacing printer cartridges and stores of powdered milk and focus more on relationships with government, other partners and future project plans.

Recent events and news in Yambio and surrounds have been filtering through as we meet up with various townsfolk.

Benneth's hand is heavily bandaged after he fell off the roof of his third wife's tukul while he was thatching, and he's unable to drive (a blessing in disguise), yet receiving some highly dubious medical advice that involves vigorous rubbing and bending of his injured hand.

An illegal bushmeat confiscation turned nasty when the army officer implicated retaliated and was shot in the leg by the military police.

One of the many Charles in the Wildlife Service pulled me aside to explain his loneliness and to request fuel money to bring his family to Yambio from their home 50km away.

Ragnhild the pioneering Norwegian tourist arrived in town and has all senior government bods rallying around and fluffing their chests at Yambio's importance as a tourism destination.

Eva (whose family owns the compound we rent) got married while I was away, but a guest, an off-duty policeman, was shot on his way home.

The warmth that emanates from Biyo in the market, who we change money with, and who is trying to get us 20 pairs of good quality gumboots from suppliers in Kampala.

A Wildlife Service officer who was supervising a forestry company to extract teak from a concession, was murdered by community conspirators while alone in the forest, so they could steal his weapon.

Multiple bishops have descended to town in preparation of performing a mass confirmation of 2,000 children on Sunday.

Clement is chuffed that I've brought him a Stoke City t-shirt, refreshing, unusual and coincidental (it's also my home team) that he doesn't support Manchester Utd or Chelsea.

We met with the Wildlife Service Director of the neighbouring state of Tambura, excitedly talking about future work in some very remote, under-studied but threatened wildlife areas.

Countless smiles, waves, warm handshakes and greetings from familiar and new faces, outweighing any bad news and happy to welcome me back to South Sudan.