Displaced youth in Bentiu trained in conflict mitigation

22 Jan 2015

Displaced youth in Bentiu trained in conflict mitigation

21 January 2015 - More than 20 youth leaders living at the UNMISS protection site in the Unity State capital Bentiu today received training in conflict mitigation and how to reduce the crimes in the protection sites.

The mission’s Civil Affairs Section in the state organized the training in response to the growing conflict, crime rate and violence in the protection site.

The training emphasized the importance of peace and to train the youth leaders on their role in promoting peace in the community.

“We have been receiving a lot of concerns from the community in protection sites,” said Civil Affairs Officer Langiwe Mwale. “When we had a training (workshop) with women, they told us that the youth were a main source of insecurity in the protection site. We thought we should take it up and respond.”

A youth representative, Isaac Rup Tekjiek said the training was vital in helping them understand the why it is necessary to live in peace.

“My friends and I discussed how we can live in peace with (each other),” he said. “I would like to tell other friends who did not come today (that) … we came from different places where we are not safe, (but) safety simply means peace.”