In South Sudan, where some 70 per cent of the population is estimated to be under 30 years of age, Youth Day is especially significant.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), therefore, partnered with the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the South Sudan Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation, Stabilization, and Resilience (RSRTF) to host a youth forum attended by some 500 people in Central Equatoria’s Yei River county.

Frank discussions on leveraging peace and security as a platform for a more prosperous, developed South Sudan and the critical role played by youth in galvanizing positive social change were the order of the day.

“We have spent our past looking at what divides us,” said Daniel Ohide, Principal, Emmanuel Christian College in Yei. “As concerned citizens we must accept our differences and embrace the rich tapestry of languages, culture and opinions if we are to shape a better future for every community member,” he added. “This is even more important for our youth who have a massive role to play in the country’s socioeconomic development.”

Mr Ohide was addressing participants on the importance of self-identity and urged all to find a common purpose given that South Sudan is at a critical point in its history with elections slated for next year.

“At a time like this, all South Sudanese have important choices to make. These choices will determine our national identity for years to come. So, I encourage all youth and everybody in the community to forget ethnic divisions,” he stated.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the Commissioner of Yei River County, Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa.

“The diversity of the South Sudanese people is the very characteristic that should make us strong. We must all work together for peace under one flag as one people, one nation,” he exhorted.

For Ezbon Gali, the county’s Deputy Executive Director, the time is ripe for South Sudanese to forget past traumas and embrace a conflict-free, development-focused approach.

“Everybody deserves peace. But peace comes with the spirit of compromise. We must accept past wounds to start the healing process, never indulge in hate speech and ensure we do our part as community members to chart a new course for South Sudan where the rights of every citizen are upheld,” he stated.