Pia Philip, undersecretary at the Ministry of Peace Building, at Eye Radio studios on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 | Credit | Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

Pia Philip Michael, the ministry’s undersecretary, appealed to citizens to put aside their differences and embrace one another.

“Everybody around the world is requested to put down the guns for twenty-four hours at least and give peace a chance to build that social fabric of coexistence in diversity,” he said.

“Now what we need to do as citizen of this country is to encourage that social cohesion and to stop beating the drums of war because when war begins, nobody will be excluded from the replica effects of war.”

The International Day of peace is observed annually around the world on September 21 to strengthen the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

This year’s global theme for the International Day of Peace is; “End racism. Build peace!”

But in South Sudan, it is celebrated under the theme “End Ethnic Discrimination, Build Peace in Diversity.”

Some young people who attended the ceremony in Juba on Wednesday have demanded the country’s leaders to bring lasting peace and stability in the country.

“South Sudan has been yearning for peace for long time. My message to the leaders there, they should abide by the 2018 peace deal and implement the revitalized agreement,” Samuel Elia.

Justa Mule also said “am just so glad about the day of today. We as the people of South Sudan, we need peace, we need our bright future,” Justa Mule

Christine Peter is a teenage orphan who returned home from Uganda after fleeing the conflict.

She said the country need peace and appealed to the unity government to empower underprivileged families affected by the conflict.

“Today am very happy to be here to hear about the peace. Even these people just like to fight, people are just running to other country, we are not happy now, we need peace.

“People should stay peaceful and the government should support poor people and even orphans now like me, even last year I was in Uganda because I am orphan,” she said.