The Secretary-General of the South Sudan National Youth Union (SSNYU), Emmanuel William Atit, has urged the youth not to support political leaders who divide the nation through tribalism, hatred, or money.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during a one-day training under the theme “Enhancing Youth-Led Legislative Reform in South Sudan,” organized by Markaz Al Salam with support from the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).
Atit said the youth make up 74 percent of the population and that with that demographic, young people could win all gubernatorial positions and half the seats in the National Assembly, among other elective positions. He emphasized that the country needs elections to correct past and present wrongs.
“If you accept money for your vote, you sell your vote and lose the right to demand roads, schools, or hospitals. Listen to leaders who talk about peace, stability, and development. As youth, we need youth centres, recreational facilities, offices, vocational training centers, schools, roads, hospitals, market opportunities, and agriculture,” Atit said. “Politicians in Juba do not send their own children to the frontlines—they use us. We must say no to violence, inter-state conflict, and tribal fighting.”
“Keep your guns strictly for defending the nation’s borders against foreign invasion, not against your fellow citizens,” he added.
The youth leader called upon his peers to unite and avoid deliberately being fragmented.
“We must stop the divisions between civil society youth, political party youth, government youth, and faith-based youth. Whether you are from SANU, civil society, or the church, we must unite to demand the 20 percent youth representation policy,” he stressed. “Let us love, protect, and build our country. European and American nations went through worse conflicts, World Wars, and destruction before they sat down to build their nations. We can do the same.”
“Do not collaborate with foreign interests to destroy your home. You are blessed to have a nationality, a passport, and a homeland—love your country like you love your mother,” Atit underscored.
Meanwhile, Florence Agiba, Executive Director for Markaz Al Salam, stated that the meeting aimed at helping young people plan their approach, regardless of whether elections proceed on schedule or not.
“I want to take this time to thank NPA for supporting this initiative and for always standing with the young people,” she said. “I am requesting the youth not to take this very lightly, because we know the funding space right now and how difficult it is for us to get resources to sit down and make such plans.”
For his part, Michael Gorjin, Project Coordinator at Norwegian People’s Aid, highlighted that the South Sudan Youth Policy affirms a 20 percent youth representation threshold across all levels of government.
“We pray this election is going to be peaceful and non-violent, where citizens claim their rights without using violence, especially since we are a generation born out of war,” he said. “I encourage you to use what we call persuasion, which is a strategic, non-violent method to influence decision-makers within your party.”
“You need to register with a political party. I am not asking you to choose Party A or Party B, but to influence and be part of the process, you need to be part of a party registered with the Political Parties Council,” Gorjin urged.
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