To paraphrase a famous man on the moon: this day marked a small step for South Sudan but a giant leap for 32 boys in MirMir in the country’s northern Unity region.

In a bid to make the most of their arguably significant influence on the attitudes and behaviour of the South Sudanese people, religious leaders in the Greater Jonglei region have established an inter-religious committee to urge feuding communities to reconcile.

Seasonal migrations and a frequent scarcity of grazing pastures and water holes have resulted in recurrent skirmishes in the area between Boma and Kapoeta in the Eastern Equatoria region. The fighting comes at the price of severe food shortages.