UNDP launches youth center for peacebuilding in Malakal

MALAKAL – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has handed over the youth center in Malakal to the Upper Nile State’s youth center management committee.

The event, held on Tuesday and themed “Empowering youth to promote peaceful coexistence and enhance youth leadership,” was attended by top Upper Nile State government officials.

Officials have blamed unemployed youth for major causes of lawlessness in the state, especially those who have joined gangs. These youth have been attacking people at night and sometimes during the daytime, looting property.

Ridwan M. Rochman, UNDP Malakal’s Peacebuilding Specialist and Head of Field Office, said the center would serve as a pillar for unity among Upper Nile State’s youth.

“Today, we witness the launching of the Youth Center in Malakal as a beacon of hope and unity for the youth of Upper Nile State, where youth can express themselves free from prejudice and discrimination. The Youth Center is not only a safe and neutral space but an asset to unite the youth as one, the future of South Sudan,” said Rochman.

Natacha Kunama, UNDP Programme Manager of Peace and Community Cohesion, said the center aims to spearhead peacebuilding activities in the state.

“This center will serve as a safe space for young women and men to come together, share their concerns, and engage in vital peacebuilding activities,” said Kunama.

Kunama said the free space would strive to solve the protracted challenges posed by conflict and instability through community dialogue.

“The youth center is not just a facility; it’s a symbol of hope, resilience, and youth leadership. It provides a safe space for future leaders to come together, promote dialogue, and drive development in a region that has faced significant challenges due to conflict and instability,” she added.

She urged partners who attended the event to join forces with UNDP to support the youth of Upper Nile State.

Gatluak Reath, the youth center management committee chair, said the center would not be used for political rallies or other political activities. He stressed that it would enable the youth to earn income that would drive peacebuilding activities forward.

“The youth center is a free space that will not allow rallies or any political activity. The youth center will generate more income for the youth of Malakal and beyond. Those incomes will support peacebuilding activities for the youth of Upper Nile State; hence, the main objective of this youth center is to generate any activity that brings the youth of Upper Nile together,” said Reath.

He appreciated the state’s ministry of culture, youth, and sports, UNDP, UNMISS, and other partners for their immense support towards youth activities in the state.

Deng Joh Angok, the acting governor and deputy governor of Upper Nile State, encouraged the youth to take advantage of the center by generating ideas that would benefit their communities. The acting governor argued that development could be achieved through the support of the youth.

“The youth of Upper Nile are not involved in crimes. They are a youth that can come up with good ideas that are essential to Upper Nile State. I need you as the youth of Upper Nile to join hands with the state government for development because development cannot continue without the cooperation from the youth,” said Angok.

Upper Nile State has been facing rounds of violence since the outbreak of conflict in 2013, leading to massive displacement and economic crisis. Targeted killings have been reported in Malakal among tribes living in the state’s capital, even in recent months.

On March 7, 2024, UNDP’s crisis chief in Juba warned of an escalating crisis in South Sudan driven by conflict, climate change, displacement, and economic crisis. The report projected that 7.1 million of the 12.4 million South Sudanese population were likely to face crisis-level hunger.