BY KHAMIS COSMAS LOKUDU
South Sudan is made up of 64 different tribes. Every one of them has its own story and way of life. Love it or hate it, those tribes are not leaving. You cannot pack them up or wish them away. They are stuck as neighbors, not because they signed up for it, but because that is how the land, history, and the future have arranged things. So the only real way forward is not more fighting or “us versus them.” It is learning to walk together. South Sudanese people need to start valuing unity over tribalism.
Let us be honest; no tribe raised its hand and asked to be placed exactly where it is. No chief drew a line on a map saying the Nile must cut through their backyard. But for those who believe in a natural order, it is clear God and time put each tribe where it belongs. And that was not an accident. It was intentional.
So what is the alternative? Simple, admit that living side by side is not a weakness. It is actually smart. Unity does not mean throwing away your tribe’s identity. You can be proudly Bari and proudly South Sudanese at the same time. You can speak your mother tongue at home and still use English or Arabic to talk to your neighbors. The goal is not to make everyone the same. The goal is to get along. Look at Switzerland’s four official languages and many different regions, but it works because the people there learned that difference does not have to mean danger. South Sudan can do the same, but it starts with a choice. Stop looking at another tribe as a threat, and start seeing them as neighbors that the Creator placed right next to you for a reason.
Working as one is not just some feel-good idea. It is a must. South Sudan’s roads are broken. Its oil money is shaky. Its schools and hospitals are among the worst in the world. No single tribe can fix any of that alone. The Equatoria region cannot build a road across the whole country without help from Upper Nile or Bahr el Ghazal. That is not politics, that is just how moving clay and supplies works. A nation that keeps fighting itself will not build classrooms, will not bring investors, and will not raise healthy kids.
Also, the rest of the world is getting tired of stepping in to stop ethnic fights. Donor fatigue is real. If South Sudan keeps bleeding from internal clashes, aid will dry up, and the world will look away. The ones who will hurt most are ordinary South Sudanese, mothers watching their children go hungry, young men dying in roadside attacks, and elders burying grandchildren too soon.
Building a culture of unity also means changing how our traditions work. Tribal chiefs and elders need to stop being defenders of just their own people and start becoming builders of peace between communities. Instead of backing revenge killings, they should lead healing ceremonies. Instead of grabbing land only for their tribe, they should push for sharing resources fairly. That is not betraying tradition, that is surviving. Every tribe that is still around today learned to adapt. South Sudan’s tribes are no different.
And finally, the young people of South Sudan need to drive this change. The generation born after independence did not live through the war for freedom, but they have seen plenty of ethnic bloodshed. They have every reason to be angry. However, if that anger is aimed the right way, it can spark something new. Young folks can use music, TikTok, football, and art to build friendships across tribal lines. They can refuse to inherit their fathers’ grudges. They can demand leaders to serve every tribe.
At the end of the day, like it or not, those 64 tribes are permanent. They are not vanishing. The real question is not whether we will live together, that is already decided by history and by God. The question is: do we live together in constant conflict, or do we grow together in unity? The answer should be obvious. Embrace unity. Respect every tribe as part of a bigger design. Roll up your sleeves and work together. South Sudan’s future hangs in the balance on that one simple, heavy choice.
The writer is a South Sudanese Journalist. He can be reached via khamislokudu@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.
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