Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The national Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Albino Bol Dhieu, has called on the youth to restore the country’s unity and peaceful co-existence through sports.
Dr Bol said it was high time for leaders and communities across the country to engage the youth in different parts of the country through sports, which he believed could promote peace among them.
“It was not good for us to fight for our country’s independence, which we have got, and again we started to destroy, and we continue to destroy more. We need peace in our country. Let us learn from our mistakes and restore our harmony and peaceful coexistence, which can only be accomplished through sports,” he said.
He made the statement during the one-day Great South Sudan Run (GSSR) held in Wau last Saturday.
Dr Bol stated that it was time for young people to engage in sports and other activities that promote peace.
“Sports is an investment and South Sudan needs sports.” It is the only way forward to sustainable peace and stability in the country. Sports can unite us, observe negative thinking and influence youth. It can change the narrative and bring us together, ” he stressed.
The minister acknowledged the importance of investing in sports and other productive agendas to enlighten the lives of the youth in the country.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Western Bahr el-Ghazal State, Sarah Cleto Rial, pledged the government’s commitment to engaging youth through productive activities.
However, she encouraged the youth in the country to exhibit the different talents they have within them.
Louis Lobong Lojore, the Eastern Equatoria State Governor, who spoke on behalf of the invited governors, highlighted the importance of empowering young people through games and sports.
He called on the Great Bahr el-Ghazal region’s youth to support the government in restoring peace in the region as well as the whole country.
According to him, it is only the country’s own people who can bring peace to their nation, adding that no one from anywhere can come to bring peace and stability to the country.
“I want to tell you that there is no one else that can come and bring you peace. Don’t think and wait for someone to come from heaven to come and bring you peace. You are the only one that can do that,” Lobong said.
He said sports keep the bodies strong and healthy, besides promoting peace and unity among people.
“I am so grateful to have seen a few girls amidst the boys competing for the great run. I am encouraging girls to enrol in games and sports to compete globally, ” he stressed.
Runners from the northern Bahr el-Ghazal State took the first positions in both the men’s and women’s sides.
The event was organised by the Great South Sudan Run in collaboration with the South Sudan Athletic Federation and was held under the theme of promoting sustainable peace and development in the country.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
