Participants pose for photo after a round-table discussion on election in Bentiu, Unity State on Monday – Photo credit: Lieth Nyak/Eye Radio

Unity State’s Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement has urged young people to promote peace and avoid incitement as the country prepares for the 2026 general elections.

Tot Dhiedor Tutrol made the call during a roundtable discussion on elections and peace held on Monday.

The event was organized by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Civil Affairs Division.

He warned youth against hate speech, cattle raiding, and spreading misinformation and disinformation, saying such activities threaten the country’s stability as it prepares for a democratic process.

Tutrol, who represented the state governor at the meeting, said peaceful co-existence within Unity State and with neighboring states is critical ahead of the elections.

“That is why I advise the citizens of Unity State to avoid this nonsense challenging on social media, posting the pictures of the people. So, election is not what? It is not a conflict. Election is normal activity that we need to tell our people, yes, we need to practise a conducive environment,” he said.

“That is why we need our people to be enlightened and telling them that election is not a problem. So that to separate us and to use, to take gun,” he added.

Meanwhile, UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer Marine Rose Alexander said the peacekeeping mission is carrying out awareness campaigns targeting youth, women, community leaders and civil society groups across the country to encourage peaceful participation in the elections.

“For permanent peace to prevail, we need all South Sudanese including the government officials, Civil societies to work together if they dare peace. We can also have peaceful election. This is the wills of the government to hold election to December. But what we can do as UNMISS, we can engage the groups, we can engage youth and we cane engage women, so that we can have fair and peaceful election,” she said.

South Sudan is expected to hold its first general elections in December 2026, as part of the peace roadmap agreed by the parties to the revitalized peace agreement.

For his part, Geng Puok, the State Minister of Youth, Culture, and Sport, urged the youth in the country to make peace a priority so that the country can go for peaceful elections next year.

“Concerns general election, youth are ready for election, but we need to encourage them to know, to elected their leaders widely,” he said.