Hundreds of women, community elders, and youths from the Juba 3 internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camp have called on all parties to end the conflict ahead of the December election.
On Monday, hundreds of IDPs commemorated the International Day of Peace under the theme “Invest in Peace for Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
Mary Nyanchot Chuol called for forgiveness and peaceful coexistence as the country prepares for the upcoming election. She urged the national government to give greater attention to the needs of internally displaced people, saying they continue to face major challenges, including limited access to education and healthcare, as well as insecurity in the camps.
“However, we pray to God to bless this election and bring an end to the conflict,” she said.
Mazala Mabil of the Nonviolent Peaceforce said his organization was celebrating the day inside the Protection of Civilians (POC) site in Juba alongside internally displaced persons (IDPs).
“We operate a field office here and work closely with local Youth Protection Teams within the POC. This is a deeply important event for us. Our goal is to bring hope to IDPs inside the camp—to ensure they feel recognized, happy, and supported,” he explained. “We give them a space to share their feelings as we mark this meaningful day. We chose to celebrate inside the IDPs camp so that displaced community members feel true ownership of International Peace Day.”
“We hope this celebration brings joy, encouragement, and a clearer, brighter future—along with the renewed hope that lasting peace will come to our country,” Mabil added.
For her part, Isabella Terah, Technical Protection Advisor at the Nonviolent PeaceForce, said that peace is an everyday commitment.
“The problem of your neighbour is your problem. I want us to think about this and know that our peace begins with us—it begins inside us. I know the hard work that this community is doing. I spoke to our leader about the vital work being done: the leaders, the Community Protection Teams, and the Peace Club members,” she said. “The work you are all doing to maintain peace is not easy. It is a tough job, but I thank God that we are able to maintain our community. Let us continue with the peace that we have. Let us continue doing what we are doing.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Let us seek God and build strong relationships with one another. In my heart, I know that one day we shall all be extremely happy,” Terah added.
The United Nations observes the International Day of Peace every September 21. The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981 and was first observed in 1982 before September 21 was established as its permanent date in 2001.
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