WESTERN BAHR EL GHAZAL, Aug. 19, 2024 — The Western Bahr el-Ghazal State Government, in collaboration with the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Wau, commissioned a multipurpose youth center and a police station in Ujuku Payam, Raja County over the weekend. The initiative was supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) under its Quick Impact Project.
The newly established youth center aims to train local youth, promote social cohesion, and engage them in peacebuilding activities. Simultaneously, the police station will bolster security, uphold the rule of law, and address crime and other community challenges.
State Youth and Sports Minister Mohamed Ali Goni lauded the youth’s dedication to achieving the facility. “I am so thankful to attend the inauguration of this youth center. We have been meeting the youth in their local building, but thanks to their commitment, they have achieved a modern center,” Goni said. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the center and encouraged UN agencies to provide further support, suggesting the addition of a computer center to enhance local skills.
Raja County Commissioner Addison Arkangelo Musa urged the youth to refrain from using the center for political purposes. “I know that there are different political formations here… Please, leave behind your political inclinations whenever you come to the center,” Musa stated.
David Lawrence, the State Youth Union Chairperson and youth representative, called on NGOs to provide training opportunities for the Ujuku Payam youth. The local youth also appealed to state authorities to rename residential areas to better reflect the current effort to combat tribalism in the community.
