The UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Forest Whitaker, has dedicated a peace message to the people of South Sudan.

In his message, Whitaker says the people of South Sudan have known too many years of war.

“It’s deeply saddening to witness how eruptions of senseless violence repeatedly rip the fabric of South Sudanese communities, warping efforts at reconciliation and reconstruction,” the US national says in the video message.

“Your desire for peace will initiate the reconciliation that must happen one day. It must be cultivated and nurtured.”

It was released on the occasion of International Day of Peace, an observance of the United Nations celebrated every 21st of September.

Watch the full message here.

International Day of Peace was proclaimed to celebrate and promote peace across the planet – a day to remember that living free of fear and violence is a universal right, a day for the world to be mindful of the millions of people who are currently deprived of their right to peace.