JUBA — Young people from diverse communities in South Sudan gathered at the Youth Empowerment Hub in Juba for an International Youth Day event supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), where speakers urged them to prioritise unity and resist recruitment into armed or political conflicts.
Calls for unity and responsibility
Participants took part in a Peace Circle facilitated by UNMISS Radio Miraya, where they discussed shared challenges and hopes under this year’s theme, reported the UNMISS news service. The event sought to remind attendees that investing in youth empowerment is integral to broader peacebuilding efforts in a country long scarred by violence and fragmentation.
The guest of honour, Central Equatoria Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport Bush Buse, appealed for a common national identity as a foundation for peace. He emphasised language and solidarity as crucial elements, saying leaders and communities should work towards becoming "one people", according to the UNMISS account.
“If you are not convinced of a positive outcome, do not attach yourself to any political objective,”
That admonition, reported from a civil society representative, was part of a broader warning about the manipulation of young people by older actors who continue to pursue tribal or political ends. The phrase "uncle-ization" was used at the event to describe this dynamic, underscoring concerns that elders may coerce or persuade youth to join conflicts they have little stake in.
Peacebuilding through youth empowerment
UNMISS’ Head of Juba Field Office, Christopher Murenga, was reported to have framed the event as more than a celebration: it was also a prompt for concrete action to work with youth towards shared national goals. He linked empowerment and peace, saying the two must advance together for sustainable stability.
The event combined artistic expression and civic dialogue. A poet, Raja Charity, captured the resilience on display with words that resonated with many attendees, and the closing call to action encouraged young people to see themselves as agents of change rather than passive participants in a cycle of violence.
What participants took away
Organisers reported that discussions left attendees determined to take practical steps towards collaboration and community cohesion. Civil society voices at the gathering urged young people to exercise independent judgement when confronted with invitations to join political or armed movements.
- Theme: Different Contexts. Common aspirations.
- Location: Youth Empowerment Hub, Juba
- Facilitator: UNMISS Radio Miraya
- Notable emphasis: rejecting manipulation by older political actors and building unity across communities
Speakers framed the moment as one where the next generation must consciously choose whether to perpetuate inherited conflict or to construct new, peaceful pathways for their communities. The event was reported as stressing individual responsibility as much as collective action.
| Element | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Host | UNMISS-supported Youth Empowerment Hub |
| Key voices | Central Equatoria Minister Bush Buse; UNMISS Head of Juba Field Office Christopher Murenga; civil society representative Edmund Yakani |
| Primary focus | Youth empowerment linked to peacebuilding |
For South Africa and other regional partners, the Juba event underscores the centrality of youth engagement in resolving protracted conflicts. It serves as a reminder that peace initiatives which do not include young people in meaningful ways risk failing to address the drivers of recruitment and localised violence.
By convening artistic expression, civic debate and direct appeals from government and UN representatives, the International Youth Day gathering in Juba sought to turn aspiration into action. Participants reportedly left with renewed commitment: to work together across differences and to resist pressures that would drag them back into conflict.
Reported by UNMISS and summarised for the national audience.
